THE 
STEERING 


ROBERT  ALEXANDER  WASON 


THE  STEERING  WHEEL 


"This  is  the  very  finest  gathering  I  ever  attended" 


THE 

STEERING  WHEEL 


By 
ROBERT  ALEXANDER  WASON 


Illustrated  by 
PAUL  J.  MEYLAN 


All  the  world's  a  car,  and  all  the  men  and 
women  would-be  chauffeurs 


NEW    YORK 

GROSSET    &  DUNLAP 

PUBLISHERS 


COPYRIGHT  1910 
THE  BOBBS-MERRILL  COMPANY 


Private  affairs,  important  enough  in  themselves, 
are  merely  the  cogs  and  valves  of  some  large 
car  of  destiny.  As  this  car  tears  along  the 
difficult  road  of  circumstance,  much  depends 
on  the  hands  that  hold  the  steering  wheel. 
It  is  the  struggle  for  the  control  of  this  wheel 
which  goes  to  make  up  the  larger  dramas  of  life. 


2138684 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I    DICK  ARRIVES i 

II    UNCLE  RICHARD  TAKES  NOTICE  n 

III  THE  SERVANTS  TAKE  NOTICE       ....  19 

IV  EVEN  THE  GUESTS  TAKE  NOTICE         ...  29 
V   MULLIGAN,  VOLUNTEER  CHAUFFEUR    ...  39 

VI    Miss  BURTON  AT  THE  WHEEL      ....  57 

VII    THE  MACHINE  SKIDS 69 

VIII    UNCLE  RICHARD  PICKS  THE  PATH  81 

IX    DICK  VETOES  THE  CHOICE    .....  90 

X   A  ROYAL  BIT  OF  ROAD  ......  101 

XI   THE  GIRL  AT  THE  WHEEL     ,       .    "   „       T~~~ '.  115 
XII    A  SICK  UNCLE  AND  A  SPITE  FENCE     .       .       .128 

XIII  EMIL  TAKES  UNCLE  RICHARD  A  SPIN         .       .  142 

XIV  UNCLE  RICHARD  COLLIDES 156 

XV    LORRAIN  SCATTERS  TACKS 165 

XVI    DICK  STEERS:    CUPID  PICKS  THE  PATH     .       .  172 
XVII    IVAN  CRAWLS  UNDER  THE  MACHINE    .       .       .183 

XVIII    CLASHES  AND  CRASHES 195 

XIX   THE  MACHINE  RUNS  OVER  IVAN  AND  EMIL       .  207 

XX   THE  ROVERS  RETURN 219 

XXI    DICK  LEAVES  THE  TRACK 228 

XXII    COMRADES  STILL 241 

XXIII  LEARNING  THE  LEVERS 253 

XXIV  JOCKEYING  AN  EXPERT 266 

XXV    STOPPED  ON  A  COUNTRY  ROAD     ....  279 

XXVI    A  RIDE  IN  THE  MOONLIGHT 295 

XXVII    ENTERING  THE  STRETCH 309 

XXVIII    FORGING  AHEAD 323 

XXIX    VICTORY  IN  SIGHT 337 

XXX    CROWDED  AT  THE  TURN 351 

XXXI    THE  STRUGGLE  FOR  THE  WHEEL        .       .       .  366 

XXXII    AN  EXPLOSION 375 

XXXIII    AT  THE  WHEEL  OF  THE  SUPER-CAR    .       .        .387 


THE  STEERING  WHEEL 


THE  STEERING  WHEEL 


CHAPTER  I 

DICK   ARRIVES 

BAXXIXGTON  PARK,  comprising  fifteen  acres, 
is  situated  in  the  second  rise  of  the  Jersey  Hills. 
Landscape  artists  had  not  been  called  on  to  add  to  its 
natural  beauty  to  any  great  extent,  and  the  ancient 
trees  had  fought  their  own  way  into  an  exalted  station, 
where  they  reigned  in  dignified  complacency. 

In  front  of  the  large  square  brick  house,  the  lawn 
was  well  kept,  and  the  box  hedge  which  surrounded  the 
entire  place  was  luxuriant  and  fairly  well  trimmed,  but 
there  were  few  flowers  and  these  were  of  the  sturdier 
and  simpler  kinds.  Other  country  homes  were  clus- 
tered along  the  well-kept  road,  or,  rather,  street,  which 
continued  into  Minster,  and  the  entire  neighborhood 
suggested  discriminating  content  and  comfortable  in- 
dependence. 

Richard  Bannington  was  a  name  of  national  famil- 
iarity, and  yet  the  man  himself  was  known  to  but  very 
few.  He  had  been  written  up  and  he  had  been  written 
down;  but  there  was  nothing  to  indicate  that  all  this 
very  skilful  writing  had  given  him  a  moment's  irrita- 

I 


2  THE    STEERING    WHEEL 

tion  or  modified  to  the  slightest  degree  a  single  one  of 
his  actions. 

On  this  July  morning,  he  was  pacing  up  and  down 
the  library  and,  as  was  his  custom,  talking  to  himself 
in  a  low  and  somewhat  grumbling  tone.  "I'll  be  glad 
to  see  the  young  scamp  again,"  he  said,  as  he  paused  at 
a  window  overlooking  the  driveway.  "Come  to  think 
of  it,  I  haven't  seen  much  of  him  since  he  went  to  col- 
lege. Haven't  quite  lost  track  of  him,  though.  If  the 
young  cub  can  only  earn  money  one-half  as  easily  as 
he  spends  it,  he'll  be  a  big  help  to  me —  Well,  what  do 
you  want?" — to  a  tall,  dry-looking  footman  in  dingy 
green  livery,  who  had  just  entered.  All  the  male  serv- 
ants at  Bannington  were  tall  and  had  the  appearance 
of  having  been  seasoned  in  a  dry-kiln,  and  of  having 
been  kept  in  just  a  shade  too  long. 

"If  you  please,  sir,"  answered  the  footman,  "the 
carriage  broke  down." 

"Broke  down?  On  such  a  morning  as  this!  Don't 
you  know  enough  to  see  that  things  are  in  good  order 
when  you  know  that  they  are  going  to  be  needed  ?" 

"The  coachman  told  you  over  a  month  ago,  sir — " 
began  the  footman,  but  was  interrupted  by  a  hasty 
wave  of  the  hand. 

"Never  mind — it'll  be  all  the  better,"  said  Mr.  Ban- 
nington, pursing  up  his  thin  lips.  "It  will  give  me  a 
chance  to  see  what  kind  of  rig  he  hires  to  drive  out  in.1 
Tell  the  coachman  to  have  the  carriage  put  in  good 
order  and  next  time  not  to  bother  me  with  such  de- 
tails." 

The  footman  bowed  and  withdrew,   and  Richard 


DICK   ARRIVES  3 

continued  to  talk  to  himself :  "I  hope  he's  not  like  most 
of  these  college  fellows.  But  that  trip  around  the  world 
should  have  put  a  finish  on  him.  Hope  it  has.  I  could 
never  stand  it  if  he  was  one  of  these  strolling  clothes- 
forms.  Not  much  fear  of  that,  though.  Probably  has 
the  same  cool,  calculating,  practical  head  his  father 
had.  By  gad,  I  do  hope  he  has  ideas,  and  is  ready  to 
pitch  in  and  help  me  fight  Burton.  I  hate  to  tell  him 
how  hard  put  to  it  the  old  Bannington  Plant  is." 

His  brows  were  drawn  down  in  a  fierce  scowl  and  a 
weary  droop  came  to  his  mouth  for  a  moment ;  but  he 
shook  it  off  with  a  toss  of  his  head  and  with  a  dry, 
throaty  chuckle,  continued :  "I  wonder  if  he  will  stand 
driving  as  well  as  I  did.  His  father  was  only  two  years 
older  than  I,  but  land,  how  he  did  goad  me  through  a 
stint  of  work.  I'll  not  be  too  hard  on  the  boy,  but  I'll 
not  stand  much  nonsense,  either.  I  can't  see  why  it 
should  take  four  times  as  long  to  change  from  a  boy 
to  a  man  nowadays  as  it  did  fifty  years  ago.  He'll 
have  to  make  a  quick  job  of  it.  I  need  him  and  he  has 
to  make  good.  The  trouble  is  that  these  rich  men's 
sons  are  pampered  and  fussed  over  until —  Well,  what 
is  it?" — to  the  butler  who  had  entered  noiselessly  and 
was  standing  in  a  respectful  posture. 

"Shall  I  give  orders,  sir,  to  have  Mr.  Dick's  bath 
drawn  as  soon  as  he  comes  into  sight?"  inquired  Hig- 
gins. 

"Now,  see  here,  Higgins,"  replied  Richard  Ban- 
nington severely,  "Mr.  Dick  is  twenty-four  years  old, 
and  if  he  hasn't  sense  enough  to  tell  when  he  needs  a 
bath  and  how  to  get  one  when  he  does  need  it,  why 


4  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

I'll  get  a  governess  for  him;  but  I  want  you  to  treat 
him  as  though  he  were  a  full-grown  man — a  full- 
grown  man.  Understand?" 

Higgins  bowed  apologetically :  "I  only  thought,  sir, 
that  bein'  as  'ow  Mr.  Dick  'ad  been  away  for  so  long — 
around  the  world  and  over  in  China  and  Africa  and 
India  and — " 

"That  will  do,"  interrupted  Bannington.  "I  am  not 
interested  in  hearing  the  unabridged  directory  of  the 
earth." 

"And  you  don't  think,  then,  that  I  need  to  'ave  'is 
bath  drawn,  sir  ?"  persisted  Higgins. 

"Hang  it,  no!"  exclaimed  Mr.  Dick's  uncle.  "He 
has  probably  stopped  long  enough  along  the  route  to 
take  a  bath.  If  not,  they'll  give  him  one  in  quarantine. 
Now  clear  out !  Wait,  come  back  here.  When  he  does 
come,  I  want  all  the  servants  drawn  up  at  the  steps  to 
receive  him.  He  is  bringing  some  titled  foreigners 
back  with  him,  and  I  want  to  show  them  that  we  can 
do  the  thing  right,  if  we  want  to — though  it's  all 
idiotic  nonsense.  I  don't  want  you  to  show  that  it  is 
idiotic  nonsense,  though;  I  want  you  to  do  things  in 
some  style.  That's  all." 

It  was  plainly  evident  from  his  actions,  that  Mr. 
Bannington  was  a  man  who  had  little  patience  with 
nervous  people.  He  was  himself  nervous  this  morning 
and  it  was  easy  to  see  that  he  was  also  disgusted  with 
himself.  He  picked  up  the  morning  paper,  glanced  at 
it,  threw  it  down,  looked  at  his  watch,  saw  that  less 
than  a  quarter  of  an  hour  had  elapsed  since  he  had  last 
looked  at  it,  and  made  a  motion  as  if  also  to  throw  the 


DICK   ARRIVES  5 

watch  down ;  but  changed  his  mind  and  strolled  over  to 
the  window  instead. 

"I  wish  that  boy  would  come!"  he  muttered.  "It 
seems  to  me  as  if  I  have  been  waiting  for  him  ever 
since  the  day  I  sent  him  off  to  boarding-school.  I  don't 
see  how  I  could  think  any  more  of  him  if  he  really 
were  my  own  son.  If  that  boy  disappoints  me,  I'll — 
well  it's  pretty  hard  to  say  just  what  I  would  do.  It's 
two  years  now  since  I've  seen  him.  Two  years  can 
make  a  terrible  change.  I  don't  like  this  nobility  busi- 
ness. I  don't  want  the  boy  to  be  a  snob.  That  is  always 
the  trouble  with  the  second  generation :  the  first  genera- 
tion does  the  hustling,  corners  up  a  bunch  of  money, 
and  the  second  generation  gets  a  college  education,  a 
smattering  of  culture,  a  jumbled  collection  of  fads  and 
fashions,  and  then  they  want  to  become  idle  aristocrats. 
None  of  that  for  Dick — he  comes  from  a  working 
stock,  and  he  has  his  own  work  to  do.  I  swear,  I'd 
sooner  lose  everything  and  see  him  start  out  at  the  bot- 
tom than  to  have  him  get  the  notion  that  he's  some- 
thing better  than  common  people.  Not  much  danger 
of  that,  though ;  this  is  the  common  man's  country  and 
Dick  will  fit  into  it  all  right." 

Mr.  Bannington  looked  at  the  pictures  on  the  walls, 
read  over  the  titles  on  the  books,  and  demonstrated  the 
other  symptoms  of  a  busy  man  being  forced  to  wait. 
Finally  he  walked  into  the  hall  and  met  the  maid  with 
a  huge  bouquet  in  her  hands.  The  maid  was  not  of  the 
same  order  as  the  male  servants.  She  was  fresh  and 
attractive,  and  had  the  appearance  of  one  who  found 
the  world  quite  amusing  and  much  to  her  liking. 


6  THE    STEERING  [WHEEB 

"What  are  you  going  to  do  with  those  flowers  ?"  asKe'd 
Mr.  Bannington. 

"I  am  going  to  put  them  in  Mr.  Dick's  room,  sir," 
she  answered. 

"Stuff  and  nonsense !"  he  exclaimed.  "Now,  I  want 
his  room  kept  clean  and  comfortable,  but  he's  not  a 
school-girl,  and  I  don't  want  any  foolish  frills.  Put  'em 
in  the  dining-room." 

The  maid  gave  her  head  a  toss  as  she  turned  to  carry 
out  this  order,  and  her  master  strolled  awkwardly  up 
and  down  the  hall  for  a  few  minutes.  When  he  re- 
turned to  the  library,  he  noticed  his  entire  domestic 
staff  gathered  at  the  foot  of  the  front  steps,  and  his 
face  lighted  in  anticipation. 

"He  must  have  been  sighted !"  he  exclaimed.  "Hang 
it,  I'll  wager  they  don't  look  like  real  servants — too 
human — a  grin  on  every  face.  What's  the  difference? 
It  will  be  a  good  thing  to  let  his  foreign  friends  see 
right  at  the  start  that  in  this  country  we  pay  more  at- 
tention to  the  realities  than  we  do  to  the  trimmings. 
He  picked  out  the  hack — fifty  cents  apiece — that's  a 
good  sign ! 

"By  George,  the  boy  has  filled  out !  He  looks  like  a 
man;  but  what  is  he  doing?  He's  shaking  hands  with 
the  coachman,  he's  shaking  hands  with  the  cook !  Good 
Lord !  I  thought  he  was  going  to  kiss  the  maid.  Now 
he's  shaking  hands  with  old  Nixon,  the  gardener ;  and 
hanged  if  he  isn't  introducing  his  quality  friends! 
Queer  looking  quality,  too." 

The  old  man  raised  the  window  and  in  a  voice  whicfi 
shook  a  little  from  excitement,  called,  "Here,  Dick; 


DICK    ARRIVES  7 

stop  that  confounded  nonsense  and  come  in  and  speak 
to  me. 

"It  looks  to  me  as  if  he  had  joined  a  show,"  he 
grumbled  as  he  turned  to  the  door  to  meet  his  nephew. 
"From  the  very  day  that  child  came  into  the  world,  he 
has  been  a  constant  surprise  to  me !" 

The  next  moment  Dick,  his  brown  face  shining  with 
health  and  the  joy  of  a  long  deferred  home-coming, 
burst  into  the  room,  seized  his  uncle's  hand  and  shook 
it  vigorously,  backed  off  a  few  steps,  surveyed  him 
critically,  pounced  on  the  hand  once  more  and  after 
another  vigorous  shaking,  exclaimed :  "By  Jing,  Uncle, 
you  are  in  corking  form !  I  never  saw  you  looking  bet- 
ter. Maybe  a  pound  or  so  too  fine,  but  this  is  hot 
weather  and  there  is  no  use  lugging  around  a  lot  of 
surplus  fat." 

The  elder  man's  face  had  broken  into  involuntary 
smiles  at  the  boy's  breeziness ;  but  the  twinkling  wel- 
come in  his  eyes  shone  through  an  unsuspected  mist. 
He  had  staked  a  good  part  of  himself  on  the  task  of 
bringing  this  boy  through  to  manhood,  and  it  affected 
him  more  than  he  cared  to  show,  when  he  looked  into 
the  clear,  steady,  brown  eyes  and  noted  the  open  cour- 
age with  which  they  returned  his  glance. 

"I'm  mighty  glad  you're  back,  Dick,"  he  said 
gravely.  "You're  looking  well.  Are  you  ready  to  pitch 
in  and  work?" 

"Play  that  bet  open,  Uncle,  and  you'll  win  a  for- 
tune," answered  Dick  enthusiastically.  "I  am  strong 
for  the  life  of  toil,  and  I  want  to  begin  right  away." 

"That's  right !  By  George,  Dick,  you've  taken  a  load 


8  THE    STEERING    WHEEL 

off  my  mind.  I  was  afraid  you  might  come  back  with 
a  lot  of  nonsense  in  your  head."  Bannington  smiled 
benignly  and  a  trifle  apologetically. 

"Never  fear,"  replied  Dick  seriously.  "I  have  had 
my  fling,  and  now  that  I  have  found  my  life-work,  I 
want  to  begin  on  it  without  a  moment's  waste.  But 
let  me  present  my  friends.  This  is  Claude  Lorrain; 
he  is  a  count  of  one  of  the  most  ancient  French  fam- 
ilies, but  has  cast  aside  his  title  and  entire  patrimony 
in  order  to  devote  himself  to  his  fellow-men." 

Lorrain  bowed  gracefully  and  held  out  a  white  slen- 
der hand  as  he  said,  with  a  very  slight  accent,  "I  am 
rejoiced  to  meet  the  uncle  of  my  best  friend.  I  have 
heard  so  much  of  monsieur's  good  qualities  that  al- 
ready he  seems  like  an  old  friend,  also." 

Mr.  Bannington's  brows  had  drawn  together  as  he 
scrutinized  Lorrain  critically.  "I  am  always  glad  to 
meet  one  of  Dick's  friends,"  he  said  in  a  voice  which 
held  a  faint  trace  of  reserve,  "but  a  little  later  I  want 
to  learn  more  of  this  casting  aside  business.  Doesn't 
sound  practical  to  me." 

"And  this  is  Emil  Birkhead,  Uncle,"  continued  Dick. 
"You'll  be  sure  to  like  him.  He  talks  like  a  double- 
entry  ledger." 

It  was  evident  that  the  stolid  German  found  more 
favor  and  there  was  no  reservation  in  the  hearty  hand- 
shake he  received.  "You  don't  look  to  me  like  a  man 
who  has  given  away  his  birthright,"  said  Bannington 
dryly. 

"It  is  impossible  for  a  man  his  birthright  to  give 
away,"  replied  the  German  as  though  from  a  platform. 


DICK   ARRIVES  9 

"My  birthright  entitles  me  to  a  little  less  than  one 
billionth  of  the  earth's  yearly  production  of  wealth. 
Grab  I  more,  I  become  a  robber,  accept  I  less,  I  am 
a  fool.  That  is,  I  am  a  fool  unless  I — " 

"And  this  is  Ivan  Michaelowski,  Uncle,"  interrupted 
Dick.  "Here  is  a  genuine  Russian  peasant  who  speaks 
and  writes  seven  languages,  and  is  one  of  the  keenest 
reasoners  you  ever  met.  You'll  like  him,  I  know." 

The  Russian  was  a  tall  lean  man  with  straight  black 
hair  worn  rather  long.  His  expression  was  tense  in 
its  gravity  and  his  deep  eyes  burned  with  the  fire  of 
a  consuming  purpose,  and  yet  a  twinkle  of  amusement 
flashed  in  Richard  Bannington's  eyes  as  he  offered  his 
hand.  "I  am  glad  to  meet  you,"  he  said,  and  the  Rus- 
sian merely  bowed. 

"And  now,  Higgins,"  said  Dick  to  the  butler,  "show 
my  friends  to  their  rooms  at  once." 

Higgins  led  the  way  into  the  hall  and  up  the  stairs, 
holding  his  small  head  very  high  and  oozing  supercil- 
iousness at  every  pore.  The  elder  Bannington  fol- 
lowed them  with  his  eyes  until  they  disappeared,  and 
then  he  asked  gravely,  "Is  this  the  entire  troupe,  Dick, 
or  will  the  balance  arrive  shortly  ?" 

Dick  laughed  good  humoredly.  "This  is  the  entire 
troupe,  Uncle,  and  I'm  not  surprised  that  they  strike 
you  as  being  a  little  peculiar.  They  are  out  of  the 
ordinary.  They  are  men  of  remarkable  attainment. 
I  have  spent  the  entire  last  year  with  them  and  I  con- 
sider it  my  post-graduate  course  and  of  more  im- 
portance than  my  entire  university  education." 

"Who  footed  the  bills,  Dick?"  asked  his  uncle. 


io  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

"Well,  I  looked  upon  them  as  special  instructors, 
you  know ;  so  I  felt  vit  my  duty  to  settle  most  of  the 
bills." 

"Didn't  have  to  fight  much  to  have  your  own  way, 
did  you?" 

"At  first  they  objected,  but  I  finally  talked  them 
around,"  answered  Dick,  staunchly  striving  to  avoid 
the  appearance  of  making  an  apology,  which  he  felt 
was  in  no  measure  due. 

For  a  moment  Richard  Bannington  maintained  his 
expression  of  mild  interest  and  then  his  shrewd  face 
relaxed  into  an  amused  smile.  "You  must  be  a  most 
convincing  talker,  Dick,  a  most  convincing  talker.  I 
have  been  honoring  your  checks,  you  know." 


CHAPTER  II 

UNCLE    RICHARD   TAKES    NOTICE 

BANNINGTON  was  loyal:  a  surprisingly 
large  number  of  other  words  might  be  used  to 
describe  other  phases  of  his  versatile  personality,  but 
the  mainspring  of  most  of  his  actions  was  loyalty. 
Many  of  his  private  problems  came  from  clashes  be- 
tween old  loyalties  and  new;  but  as  Dick  was  still 
filled  with  the  boyish  delight  in  the  limitless  variety 
which  smiled  on  him  from  every  side,  he  seldom  went 
to  the  bottom  of  things  and  so  was  scarcely  conscious 
of  the  power  which  his  own  active  fidelity  held  over 
him.  He  was  an  enthusiastic  believer  in  free-will  and 
would  have  vehemently  resented  the  theory  that  he  was 
not  ruled  by  cold,  calculating  reason,  instead  of  having 
his  every  action  biased  by  his  own  deep-seated  loyalty. 

Dick  felt  things  keenly  and  quickly,  and  as  he  caught 
the  sarcasm  in  his  uncle's  voice  his  loyalty  to  his  new 
friends  impelled  him  to  their  instant  defense,  while 
his  more  seasoned  loyalty  to  his  uncle  restrained  him 
from  taking  sides  against  him.  Dick  found  a  dis- 
tressing number  of  rocks  and  whirlpools  in  his  naviga- 
tion of  the  sea  of  life. 

"I  think,  taking  everything  into  consideration,  that 
the  expenses  of  my  tour  of  the  world  were  extremely 
moderate,"  he  said  slowly  and  with  much  dignity. 

II 


12  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

An  amused  smile  played  behind  the  keen  fea- 
tures of  his  uncle,  without  quite  making  its  appearance 
on  the  surface.  "Yes,"  he  responded  gravely,  "taking 
everything  into  consideration,  your  expenses  were  mod- 
erate; but  I  am  rather  of  the  opinion  that  there  are 
three  things  which  I  wish  you  had  not  taken  into  con- 
sideration. But  that's  all  right,  Dick.  You've  had 
your  education  and  your  trip.  Now,  then,  when  will 
you  be  ready  to  start  to  work?" 

"I  have  already  started  to  work ;  for,  in  sober  truth, 
Uncle,  this  last  year  has  been  spent  in  preparing  for 
and  planning  my  life-work." 

"I'm  glad  to  see  you  in  earnest,  Dick;  but  I'm  always 
a  bit  suspicious  of  that  'life- work'  talk,  and  you've  used 
it  several  times  already.  As  a  general  rule,  when  any 
one  is  about  to  launch  on  some  sort  of  freakish  ad- 
venture, he  calls  it  a  'life-work/  I'd  a  little  sooner 
you  hitched  the  words  other  end  to.  Your  work- 
life  is  about  to  begin  and  I  hope  you  are  good  and  ready 
for  it.  When  will  you  be  ready,  Dick,  to  start  your 
education  in  the  Bannington  Steel  Plant?" 

The  loyalty  which  Dick  felt  called  on  to  feel  for  the 
steel  plant  was  now  presenting  its  side  of  the  case,  and 
his  eyes  fell  to  the  carpet,  which  he  appeared  to  study 
thoroughly.  "I  haven't  thought  of  this  for  years,"  he 
answered  slowly.  "To  tell  you  the  truth,  Uncle,  I 
don't  like  the  steel  business." 

"You  don't,  huh?"  exclaimed  that  gentleman 
sharply.  "Well,  it  has  done  a  heap  for  you,  and  now  it 
is  up  to  you  to  do  something  for  it.  What  do  you  think 
life  is?  One  continuous  vacation ?  You  have  been  per- 


UNCLE    RICHARD    TAKES    NOTICE     13 

fectly  aware  all  your  life  that  at  twenty-five  you  were 
to  take  your  place  in  the  plant,  and  since  your  father's 
death,  both  your  place  and  his.  Think  of  your  oppor- 
tunities, Dick.  You  will  have  the  controlling  interest. 
You  will  outweigh  me.  You —  Well,  what  in  thunder 
did  you  expect  to  do?" 

"Oh,  in  a  vague  sort  of  way,  I  was  resigned  to  going 
into  the  plant,  up  to  the  last  year  or  so,"  replied  Dick, 
as  though  confessing  a  fault,  "but  now  it  seems  a 
sordid  sort  of  existence.  I  want  to  devote  myself  to 
a  broader  field.  I  want  work  which  will  call  forth 
every  atom  of  my  energy — physical,  mental  and 
moral." 

An  expression  of  surprise*  "bordering  on  disgust, 
crossed  the  uncle's  face.  "Great  Scott,  boy!  This  is 
exactly  what  the  plant  offers.  It  doesn't  stop  at  offer- 
ing; it  demands  it."  He  paused,  fumbled  with  a 
newspaper  for  a  moment,  and  then  resumed  in  a  con- 
ciliatory tone :  "Have  you  ever  heard  of  the  National 
Steel  Mills,  Dick?" 

"Of  course  I  have  heard  the  name,"  answered  Dick. 

"It's  just  another  name  for  William  Burton — just 
another  name  for  William  Burton;  and  it's  becoming 
devilish  stiff  competition,  Dick,  devilish  stiff  competi- 
tion. Hang  it !  you  seem  to  think  that  running  a  busi- 
ness like  this  is  something  like  riding  on  a  merry-go- 
round.  Energy?  You  won't  be  troubled  much  to 
find  a  place  for  all  you  have." 

"Yes,"  granted  Dick  complaisantly,  "but  after  all 
it  is  the  mere  selfish  piling-up  of  a  private  fortune." 

"Is  that  all !"  shouted  Bannington.    "Well,  just  you 


I4  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

step  into  the  harness  and  I'll  be  tickled  to  death  to  sit 
down  and  watch  the  piling-up  process  for  a  while.  It's 
been  a  heap  more  than  that  with  me.  You  make  me 
nervous — you  positively  irritate  me!  And  to  think 
that  I  have  been  counting  the  hours  until  your  return. 
Dick,  I  could — but  then  I  shan't  hurry  you.  Look 
about  you  for  a  week  or  ten  days,  and  by  that  time  per- 
haps you  will  be  ready  to  talk  sense.  But  I've  wasted 
too  much  time  already  this  morning,  and  I'm  going 
down  to  the  office  at  once.  We  have  dinner  at  six 
o'clock." 

He  paused  at  the  door  as  though  he  would  say 
something  further,  and  then  hurried  across  the  hall  and 
out  the  side  entrance. 

Dick  gazed  after  him  in  mild  surprise  for  a  moment 
and  then  shook  his  head  as  he  took  a  cigarette  from  his 
case  and  lighted  it  with  mechanical  preoccupation. 
"Poor  old  uncle !"  he  murmured.  "What  a  rut  a  man 
gets  into  when  he  devotes  himself  to  a  narrow  pur- 
pose! Well,  I  shall  not  be  impatient.  I  shall  explain 
to  him  step  by  step  until  he  is  able  to  get  the  true  pro- 
portions and  see  life  just  as  it  is." 

He  turned  to  the  window  and  looked  reflectively  on 
the  lawn  as  he  smoked  his  cigarette  philosophically. 
Very  much  is  indicated  by  the  manner  in  which  a  cig- 
arette is  smoked.  Dick  seemed  to  justify  the  habit 
through  his  manner  of  appearing  to  use  cigarettes 
merely  for  the  inspiration  he  was  able  to  draw  from 
them.  His  reverie  was  interrupted  by  the  entrance  of 
the  butler,  and  turning,  he  found  Higgins  smiling  hap- 
pily. 


UNCLE    RICHARD    TAKES    NOTICE     15 

"We  are  all  glad  to  see  you  back,  Mr.  Dick,"  said 
the  butler  bowing.  "Is  there  anything  I  can  do  for  you, 
sir?" 

Dick  surveyed  him  critically  for  a  moment.  "Hig- 
gins,"  he  asked  with  easy  familiarity,  "what  do  you 
do  in  the  way  of  reading?" 

In  earlier  life  Higgins  had  held  very  exalted  ideas 
on  formal  decorum  and  the  Bannington  menage  had 
never  responded  to  his  ideals;  but  it  is  most  probable 
that  no  question  had  ever  startled  him  more  than  this 
one.  "Reading,  sir?"  he  repeated  in  a  dazed  voice. 
"Why,  I  don't  do  very  much  reading,  Mr.  Dick.  Parts 
of  the  evening  paper  always,  and  now  and  then  a  good 
love  novel — a  genteel  one,  of  course,  dealing  with  the 
affairs  of  real  quality,  sir." 

"Real  quality!"  echoed  Dick  scornfully.  "See  here, 
Higgins,  don't  you  know  that  it  is  personality  that 
counts?  Position  is  a  mere  accident.  All  men  of 
equal  capacity  are  equal,  and  it  is  barbarous  to  have 
arbitrary  levels  to  society." 

Higgins  was  plainly  puzzled.  "Yes,  sir,  I  suppose 
so ;  but  I  don't  see  just  what  you  mean." 

"What  I  mean,  Higgins,"  answered  Dick,  who  never 
took  himself  so  seriously  as  when  expounding  a  theory, 
"is  that  nothing  but  a  mere  matter  of  birth  accounts 
for  the  different  positions  which  you  and  I  occupy. 
With  my  opportunities — and  take  notice,  Higgins,  that 
opportunities  are  not  the  mere  advantages  of  a  single 
lifetime,  but  reach  on  back  to  the  very  moment  when 
our  two  lines  shot  off  from  the  same  primitive  ancestor. 
Well,  with  my  opportunities  you  might  have  accom- 


1 6  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

plished  twice  as  much  as  I  have.  You  are  ambitious, 
aren't  you,  Higgins?" 

"Yes,  sir,"  replied  the  butler,  nodding  his  head  ear- 
nestly. "It  took  a  heap  of  ambition  for  me  to  climb 
up  to  my  present  position." 

"That's  just  it,"  said  Dick  in  the  joyous  voice  of  an 
evangelist  who  has  at  last  found  the  secret  gate  to  a 
hearer's  inmost  soul.  "That's  just  it;  it  took  a  climb 
for  you  to  get  where  you  are;  and  yet  looking  at  it 
in  a  large  way,  Higgins,  a  life  devoted  to  serving  the 
domestic  wants  of  fellow-equals,  is  no  fit  scope  for  a 
man  of  ambition.  Merely  being  a  man  entitles  you 
to  a  liberal  education  and  an  opportunity  to  climb  any 
heights  to  which  the  germ  of  your  being  impels  you. 
We  are  different — there  is  no  use  to  deny  it — some  of 
us  are  mighty  oaks,  some  are  apple  trees,  while  some 
are,  well,  gooseberry  bushes,  for  instance.  We  can't 
all  grow  to  the  same  size;  but  we  are  each  entitled  to 
all  the  moisture  and  all  the  sunshine  and  all  the  good 
rich  soil  we  can  use.  You  see  what  I  mean  ?" 

"Yes,  sir,"  answered  Higgins,  his  face  reflecting  the 
enthusiasm  which  radiated  from  Dick's.  "You  mean 
that  it  is  healthier  to  live  in  the  country  than  in  town. 
Mr.  Bannington,  your  father,  held  the  same  views, 
and  that  is  why  he  came  out  here  to  live.  Oh,  yes — 

"You  take  too  narrow  a  view,"  demurred  Dick. 
"You  look  at  everything  from  a  purely  personal  stand- 
point ;  you  do  not  rise  to  a  height  and  look  at  human 
affairs  as — as  a  bird  looks  at  golf  links.  You  must  not 
stop  with  the  question,  'How  will  this  affect  me?'  but 
must  ask  broadly,  'How  will  this  affect  the  entire  race 


UNCLE   RICHARD   TAKES    NOTICE     17 

and  the  countless  generations  yet  to  come  ?'  It  is  base 
to  take  a  merely  selfish  interest  in  civilization;  you 
must  consider  whether  this  age  is  doing  everything  in 
its  power  to  remove  the  struggle  for  existence,  to  pro- 
mulgate the  cleansing  forces  of  knowledge,  to  culti- 
vate, the  gentle  strength  of  higher,  broader,  purer 
love.  You  must  consider — " 

"You  must  excuse  me  now,  sir,''  interrupted  Hig- 
gins,  the  extreme  blankness  of  whose  expression  was 
feebly  attempting  to  portray  the  extent  of  his  perplex- 
ity. "I  am  deeply  interested,  and  at  some  future  time 
I  shall  be  pleased  to  consider — to  consider  all  these 
things ;  but  just  now,  sir,  I  must  consider  arrangements 
for  dinner." 

The  butler  bowed  apologetically  and  withdrew,  and 
Dick  heaved  a  long  sigh  as  he  gazed  after  him.  "That's 
always  the  way,"  he^  complained  audibly.  "Now, 
there  is  a  man  with  his  heart  open  to  conviction,  and 
yet  at  the  very  moment  when  an  opportunity  presents 
itself  for  him  to  receive  the  instruction  for  which  his 
poor,  starved  soul  is  yearning,  he  is  called  away  to 
attend  to  some  trivial  ceremony  in  our  artificial  mode 
of  life.  Come  to  think  of  it,  though,"  continued  Dick 
thoughtfully,  "dinner  is  not  an  artificial  ceremony. 
I  wonder  why  luncheon  is  not  ready.  He  said  dinner ; 
I  hope  they  have  not  cut  out  luncheon  altogether." 

Dick  was  just  at  that  full  tide  of  youth  when  imma- 
turity is  most  repulsive.  Newly  come  face  to  face  with 
the  problems  of  the  centuries,  he  saw  in  them  crafty 
and  unsuspected  enemies  of  his  race,  and  longed  to 
meet  them  in  mortal  combat.  He  felt  that  his  majority 


1 8  THE    STEERING   WHEEU 

had  made  him  a  knight  and  he  was  much  ashamed  of 
the  three  years  which  had  elapsed  before  he  had  armed 
himself  cap-a-pie  to  set  out  on  his  own  crusade. 

No  more  of  the  impulsiveness  of  youth  for  him,  no 
more  the  idle  jest  and  wanton  prank.  The  world  was 
not  a  pleasure  ground,  not  a  mock  tournament,  but  a 
great  battle-field  wherein  the  forces  of  greed  and  ig- 
norance were  marshalled  against  the  forces  of  charity 
and  knowledge,  and  on  his  unscarred  banner  he  had 
blazoned  the  single  word,  Duty. 

It  would  have  pained  him  grievously  if  he  had  sus- 
pected that  his  very  enthusiasm  was  an  earmark  of 
youth.  When  he  encountered  a  mirror  he  drew  his 
face  into  stern  lines,  and  he  fondly  fancied  that  his 
very  soul  had  become  firm  and  inflexible.  But  youth 
possesses  remarkable  vitality,  and  it  takes  many  bitter 
disappointments  to  rout  it  utterly  from  a  clean,  healthy 
body.  Wherefore,  in  unguarded  moments,  Dick  was 
quite  completely  under  the  control  of  appetites  and  de- 
sires which  are  neither  necessary  nor  incidental  to  ex- 
treme age,  but  which  clamor  and  demand  with  boyish 
vehemency. 

Just  now  he  was  soundly  hungry,  and  as  he  strode 
into  the  hall  in  search  of  information  he  came  face  to 
face  with  the  maid,  Gladys,  whose  face,  it  must  be  con- 
fessed, was  not  an  unpleasant  face  to  come  face  to 
face  with. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  SERVANTS  TAKE  NOTICE 

NOW  the  mind  of  the  maid  was  not  like  unto  the 
mind  of  the  butler.  He  had  at  a  very  much  earlier 
period  been  filled  with  an  ambition  to  become  a  butler. 
He  had  achieved  this  ambition.  Consequently  he  de- 
sired that  the  position  of  butler  be  appreciated  at  its 
full  value;  and  he  so  conducted  himself  that  even  a 
chance  observer  would  at  once  perceive  that  he  was 
a  person  of  importance. 

Early  in  life  he  had  determined  to  be  English,  but 
in  this  ambition  he  had  not  been  completely  successful. 
He  had  acquired  the  trick  of  dropping  his  "aiches"  very 
gracefully,  but  he  could  never  stick  them  on  at  the 
wrong  places  without  appearing  self-conscious,  and  as 
he  well  knew  that  in  a  butler  the  next  best  thing  to 
being  devoid  of  self  is  to  be  unconscious  of  it,  he  re- 
gretfully relinquished  the  greater  joy  and  tried  to  make 
up  for  it  by  cultivating  an  expression  whose  blankness 
was  a  model  of  perfection. 

The  Bannington  family  was  a  bitter  trial  to  the 
butler :  it  never  entertained — at  least  not  to  the  degree 
that  Mr.  Higgins  conveyed  by  his  use  of  the  term — 
it  was  usually  so  filled  with  outside  affairs  that  the 
peculiar  beauty  of  his  own  sewing  was  serenely  ignored 

19 


20  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

as  being  a  minor  incidental,  and  strive  as  he  would, 
there  was  everywhere  the  evidence  of  newness. 

Mr.  Higgins  loathed  newness.  He  longed  for  the 
dark  rich  dignity  of  polish  well  ingrained,  and,  while 
he  held  as  a  sacred  principle  the  loyalty  which  a  butler 
must  feel  for  the  head  of  the  family,  in  his  inmost 
soul  he  was  forced  to  admit  that  he  would  never  have 
put  up  with  Mr.  Richard  Bannington  all  these  years 
if  it  were  not  for  the  hope  held  out  that  the  heir  of  the 
house  was  filled  with  that  high,  domineering  spirit 
which  can  only  thrive  amidst  aristocratic  surroundings. 
As  a  boy  Dick  had  been  as  proud  and  whimful  as  any 
young  prince,  and  Higgins  had  awaited  his  final  home- 
coming with  keen  expectancy. 

And  now  Dick  had  returned.  Mr.  Higgins  had  thor- 
oughly disapproved  of  the  three  guests,  even  though 
one  of  them  was  a  count.  They  had  not  criticized 
their  quarters,  they  had  made  no  impossible  requests, 
they  had  even  appeared  pleased  at  the  arrangements 
just  as  they  had  found  them,  and  the  butler  feared 
that  they  were  very  common.  Then  came  his  inter- 
view with  Dick,  an  interview  which  left  him  gasping 
with  astonishment,  and  as  he  left  the  library  he  had 
passed  close  to  the  maid  who  was  just  outside  the  door 
and  apparently  intent  on  arranging  a  chair  according 
to  an  unnecessarily  occult  plan  of  her  own.  Under 
ordinary  circumstances  he  would  have  transferred  her 
services  to  some  field  whose  need  was  more  perceptible, 
but  he  passed  without  seeing  her,  and  so  it  was  that 
Dick  came  on  her,  still  engaged  in  her  mystic  cherishing 
of  the  chair  which  stood  near  the  door. 


THE    SERVANTS   TAKE    NOTICE       21 

The  mind  of  the  maid  was  active  and  its  outlook 
was  broad  and  courageous.  It  was  already  surcharged 
with  the  popular  misconceptions  regarding  the  gor- 
geous opportunities  offered  by  her  native  land,  and  she 
stood  ready  to  embrace  one  or  more  of  these  oppor- 
tunities without  waiting  for  the  formality  of  an  intro- 
duction. She  had  no  skepticism  regarding  the  fair 
chance  of  becoming  president  which  each  little  school- 
boy enjoys,  and  she  was  equally  optimistic  regarding 
her  own  prospect  of  becoming  the  first  lady  of  the  land 
— unless  something  more  lofty  attracted  her. 

Servants  seldom  call  themselves  servants,  in  these 
United  States,  and  they  never  look  on  their  service 
as  being  more  than  a  preliminary  step  to  future  great- 
ness, until  after  many  of  their  dream-ships  have 
smashed  on  the  rocks  of  experience.  The  youth  fulness 
of  our  nation  is  largely  responsible  for  this.  It  is 
extremely  difficult  to  make  perfectly  good  aristocrats 
out  of  pioneers  who  still  retain  callosities  in  their  broad, 
strong  hands.  And  also  our  hit-and-miss  educational 
methods  must  shoulder  their  share  of  the  uncomfort- 
able situation.  Schools  are  furnished  and  their  general 
use  is  greatly  encouraged.  Children  eat  of  the  tree  of 
knowledge  and  after  learning  the  difference  between 
wealth  and  poverty,  they  are  usually  more  willing  to 
risk  their  souls  on  the  rocks  of  wealth  than  their  bodies 
amidst  the  shoals  of  poverty. 

This  situation  produces  untold  domestic  anguish, 
but  in  addition  to  holding  such  sentiments  in  their 
most  advanced  form,  Gladys,  the  Bannington  maid, 
was  a  diligent  student  of  the  magazine  sections  of  three 


22  THE    STEERING   WHEEU 

Sunday  newspapers,  so  that  her  outlook  was  even  less 
restricted  than  the  prevailing  and  rather  mediocre 
radicalism.  This  was  the  maid  with  whom  Dick  came 
face  to  face  as  he  stepped  into  the  hall.  The  maid's 
expression  was  demure;  Dick's  had  the  tense  concen- 
tration of  a  hungry  boy. 

"I  say,  when  is  luncheon  ?"  he  asked. 

"In  about  an  hour,  sir,"  answered  the  maid.  She 
had  been  well  drilled,  in  spite  of  her  Fourth  of  July 
doctrines,  and  made  it  a  rule  to  approach  a  situation 
discreetly. 

"That's  fine  news,  Estelle — your  name  is  Estelle,  is 
it  not?" 

"Oh,  no,  sir ;  Estelle  left  over  a  year  ago.  My  name 
is  Gladys." 

"Much  the  same,"  responded  Dick.  "They  belong 
to  exactly  the  same  species." 

There  was  a  hearty,  fraternal  ring  to  Dick's  voice, 
and  the  maid  smiled  modestly  as  she  said :  "But  I 
have  heard  so  much  of  you  that  I  almost  feel  that  I 
know  you.  Estelle  told  me — " 

The  expression  on  Dick's  face  became  more  severe. 
It  seemed  several  decades  since  his  last  vacation,  and 
he  had  but  little  respect  for  the  gay  college  boy  he  then 
was.  "A  servant's  memory,"  he  said  gravely,  "should 
be  like  an  electric  light — to  turn  on  when  needed  and 
off  when  through  with." 

"Oh,  she  did  not  tell  me  any  of  her  real  secrets," 
said  Gladys  reassuringly.  "She  only — " 

"Real  secrets!"  interrupted  Dick.  "What  kind  of 
talk  is  this  ?  Do  you  suppose  that  her  real  secrets  would 


THE    SERVANTS   TAKE    NOTICE       23 

concern  me?  Do  you  imagine  that  I  would  have  any 
real  mutual  secrets  with  one  in  my  employ?  Now,  if 
you  have  any  duties  to  attend  to,  don't  let  me  detain 
you." 

"Oh,  I  have  nothing  to  do  just  now,"  answered 
Gladys  kindly.  "Are  all  poets  like  you?" 

"Poets?"  exclaimed  Dick,  feeling  of  his  back  hair. 
"What  the  deuce  makes  you  think  I  am  a  poet  ?" 

"Because,"  answered  Gladys  looking  soulfully  into 
his  eyes,  "you  used  such  be-au-tiful  language  to  Mr. 
Higgins  just  now :  all  about  birds  soaring  up  above 
the  clouds  and  enjoying  the  fresh,  sweet  sunshine,  and 
how  life  should  be  filled  with  love,  and — " 

Very  few  of  our  emotional  utterances  thrill  us 
pleasantly  on  the  rebound,  and  Dick  broke  in  hastily : 
"Did  I  say  anything  like  that?" 

"Oh,  you  did,"  replied  Gladys  enthusiastically,  "and 
lots  more.  It  was  just  like  an  opera.  I  never — " 

"Look  here" — Dick  longed  to  put  this  impertinent 
young  woman  into  her  proper  position,  but  his  prin- 
ciples restrained  him  from  hastily  deciding  what  this 
proper  position  was —  "either  your  ears  or  my  head  is 
out  of  order.  I  was  making  an  earnest  and  scientific 
appeal  to  Higgins'  reasoning  powers.  Woman  has  no 
logic ;  consequently  you  are  excused  from  interpreting 
my  remarks." 

Dick  felt  that  this  would  have  a  sufficiently  snuffing 
effect,  and  turned  to  stride  across  the  hall,  but  Gladys, 
who  was  not  supersensitive,  interposed. 

"Yes,  but  you  said  that  all  men  are  equal,  and — " 

"You're  not  a  man,"  broke  in  Dick  impatiently.     "I 


24  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

never  yet  saw  the  woman  who  could  argue.  If  I  ever 
did,  I  should  fall  down  and  worship  her  on  the  spot." 

"I  think  I  could  learn  to  argue,"  answered  Gladys 
not  too  insinuatingly. 

Dick  looked  her  in  the  eyes.  "Nope,  not  you,"  he 
said  with  finality.  "You'd  only  learn  to  talk  back. 
Now,  I  don't  wish  to  be  abrupt,  nor  to  use  a  purely, 
arbitrary  right,  but  just  at  this  hour  I  always  find  it 
necessary  to  be  alone,  so  if  you  are  going  to  stay  here, 
I  am  going  outdoors.  Where  is  Mulligan?  I  knew 
there  was  some  one  I  wanted  to  see." 

"He's  at  the  barn,  I  think.  He's  grown  awful  cross 
since  they  chained  him  up  so  much." 

"Chained  him  up !"  exclaimed  Dick.  "Confound  it, 
I  bet  his  temper  is  ruined !  I  should  like  to  know  why 
my  orders  were  not  carried  out!"  Dick  paused  and 
swallowed  in  order  to  regain  the  gentle  manner  con- 
sistent to  his  principles,  and  then  resumed:  "I  shall 
make  a  decided  change  in  this  establishment,  but,  of 
course,  I  shall  do  it  in  a  reasonable  way." 

This  time  Dick  had  so  far  impressed  the  maid  that 
he  was  able  to  cross  the  hall  and  leave  the  house  with- 
out further  conversation.  He  hastened  to  the  stable. 
None  of  the  men  was  in  sight,  which  was  not  at  all 
surprising  as  the  work  at  Bannington  was  not  strictly 
departmental.  At  times  the  coachman  or  stableman 
helped  the  gardener,  and  the  footman  used  to  assist 
the  cook  with  the  vegetables  and  the  maid  with  the 
cleaning.  As  a  rule  there  was  not  enough  work  to  go 
around,  but  the  natural  grumbling  which  ensued  was 
confined  to  the  servants  themselves.  Mr.  Bannington 


THE    SERVANTS    TAKE   NOTICE       25 

did  not  insist  on  many  things,  but  he  did  insist  on  liv- 
ing his  own  life  in  his  own  establishment  exactly  in 
his  own  way. 

As  Dick  examined  things  about  the  stables  his  face 
took  on  an  impatient  frown.  He  had  a  discriminating 
eye  and  there  was  copious  evidence  of  laxncss.  While 
he  indignantly  bewailed  the  organization  of  society 
so  that  one  man  was  forced  to  stifle  his  god-like  inde- 
pendence and  become  the  servant  of  another  mere  man, 
he  nevertheless  resented  having  a  personal  service 
slighted,  and  he  experienced  difficulty  in  condensing 
these  two  views  into  a  harmonious  philosophy. 

The  three  horses  were  fat,  but  lifeless;  harness  and 
vehicles  were  clean,  but  dingy ;  and  the  entire  surround- 
ings denoted  mechanical  care  which  made  no  attempt 
at  excellence.  A  queer  throaty  sound  from  the  little 
box-stall  which  his  first  pony  had  once  occupied  finally 
attracted  his  attention  and  he  walked  over  and  raised 
himself  on  tiptoe  to  look  through  the  screen  which 
shielded  the  upper  part. 

For  a  moment  his  eyes  failed  to  detect  anything 
in  the  gloom  within,  and  then  with  a  rather  heated 
exclamation,  he  unfastened  the  door  and  threw  it  wide. 
The  next  moment  he  was  on  his  knees  and  going  fool- 
ish over  an  immense  bulldog  which  was  gurgling  and 
wriggling  and  whining  with  plaintive  delight. 

"Mulligan,  old  sport,  this  hasn't  been  my  fault.  You 
know  that  I  didn't  have  a  hand  in  this  damned  outrage, 
don't  you?"  Dick  took  the  broad  head  between  his 
two  hands  and  they  gazed  into  each  other's  eyes,  while 
the  bulldog's  comical  screw  tail  quivered  ecstatically. 


26  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

"Oh,  this  is  the  rottenest  deal  I  ever  heard  of,"  con- 
tinued Dick  earnestly.  "Only  one  window,  and  that 
so  covered  with  cobwebs  that  the  light  has  to  elbow  and 
push  in  order  to  get  through  at  all.  What  in  thunder 
could  any  one  mean  by  shutting  you  up  in  a  hole  like 
this  on  the  third  of  July?  Well,  never  you  mind,  old 
hat,  there  is  going  to  be  doings  about  this  as  soon  as  I 
can  locate  the  blame.  Come  on  out  here  and  let's  have 
a  look  at  you." 

The  bulldog  gamboled  stiffly  and  awkwardly  as  he 
accompanied  his  master  outside.  There  Dick  examined 
him  critically,  pinching  him,  poking  him  with  his 
finger,  twisting  his  muscles,  and  all  the  while  mutter- 
ing threateningly. 

"You  are  ten  pounds  overweight,  Mulligan,"  he  said 
at  last  in  a  sorrowful  tone.  "Somebody  is  going  to 
suffer  for  this !  Good  Lord,  you'd  drop  dead  of  heart 
stroke  if  you  tried  to  do  some  of  your  old  stunts. 
Never  mind,  old  pal,  it's  training  for  yours  from  now 
on,  and  I'll  mighty  soon  try  out  that  fat  and  turn  it 
into  the  old-time  steel  springs." 

Dick  finished  his  examination  with  a  hearty  punch 
in  the  ribs,  which  was  the  signal  for  a  rough  and 
tumble ;  but  after  a  few  moments  the  dog  was  glad  to 
lie  down  and  pant. 

"It  used  to  take  an  hour  of  that  to  get  you  warmed 
up  enough  fully  to  enjoy  it,"  grumbled  his  master. 
"Oh,  there  certainly  will  be  a  shake-up  at  these  head- 
quarters." 

The  stableman,  who  had  been  doing  some  weeding 
in  the  kitchen  garden,  had  been  watching  Dick  and  the 


THE    SERVANTS    TAKE    NOTICE       27 

dog  as  he  came  toward  the  stable  to  do  the  noon  feed- 
ing. The  stableman  had  a  good-humored  face,  and  as 
he  came  nearer  it  became  suffused  with  smiles.  "He 
is  in  good  shape,  isn't  he,  Mr.  Dick?"  he  called. 

"Shape?"  exclaimed  Dick.  "He  has  about  as  much 
shape  as  a  pillow!"  and  then,  with  eyes  flashing,  he 
demanded:  "Who  ordered  him  shut  up  in  that  dirty 
hole?" 

"Why,  Timothy  told  me  to  put  him  where  he 
wouldn't  run  no  risk  of  bitin'  no  one,"  replied  the 
abashed  stableman,  coming  to  attention. 

"When  did  you  clean  that  stall  out?" 

"I  can't  just  say,  sir.  You  see  it  hasn't  been  used 
since  your  pony  died  and — " 

"Good  Heavens!"  broke  in  Dick,  "that  was  twelve 
years  ago." 

"I  don't  mean,  sir,  that  it  hasn't  been  cleaned  out 
since  then.  I  mean — " 

"I  don't  care  what  you  mean.  It's  what  I  mean  that 
goes  from  now  on.  Where's  the  coachman?" 

"He's  gone  to  see  about  getting  the  carriage  fixed, 
sir." 

"That's  another  pleasing  symptom  of  his  intellectual 
decay,"  flashed  Dick.  "Here  I  come  home  with  three 
guests  and  have  to  hire  a  public  conveyance.  The 
horses  are  out  of  condition,  the  harness  is  out  of  con- 
dition, the  carriage  is  out  of  condition,  Mulligan  is  out 
of  condition,  and  unless  I  am  able  to  keep  my  mind  on 
other  things  for  a  while,  some  of  you  lazy  loafers  are 
going  to  be  out  of  condition." 

Dick  had  been  an  athlete  at  college,  and  during  his 


28  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

vacations  he  had  boxed  with  the  men  in  order  to  help 
out  his  training.  Mike  had  once  been  knocked  down 
three  times  in  one  round  with  eight-ounce  gloves,  and 
as  he  saw  the  genuine  anger  gleaming  in  Dick's  eyes 
his  face  became  anxious. 

"Mr.  Bannington,  sir,  isn't  overly  particular,"  he  be- 
gan, "and  we've  sort  of  got  into  a  rut,  like,  but  in — " 

"Well,  I  am  particular,"  interrupted  Dick  in  no  un- 
certain tones,  "and  in  the  future  things  have  to  come 
up  to  standard.  I  want  those  horses  exercised  this 
afternoon.  Exercised — do  you  know  what  that 
means?  I  wouldn't  dare  jump  Roland  over  a  rail 
lying  flat  on  the  ground,  while  the  pair  look  like  cart 
horses.  I  want  the  stable  cleaned  up,  too.  Do  you 
know  what  cleaning  up  means?  And  remember  that 
the  next  time  I  wish  a  thing  it  must  be  ready  for  me. 
Come  on,  Mulligan." 

Dick  strode  off  to  the  house  to  investigate  luncheon. 
He  held  his  head  high  and  his  eyes  were  still  angry. 
He  had  momentarily  forgotten  his  principles. 

Mike  went  on  to  the  stables,  where  he  paused  and 

scratched  his  head  reflectively.     "He  ain't  much  like 

the  owld  man,  that  felly  ain't,"  he  muttered.     "The 

"  owld  man's  a  little  gruff  at  times,  but  he  don't  jump 

'up  and  down  on  ya,  while  this  one  has  the  hard  look  of 

a  royal  duke.    That's  the  way  it  goes — one  generation 

makes  the  money  and  the  next  one  feels  it." 


CHAPTER  IV 

EVEN  THE  GUESTS  TAKE  NOTICE 

WHEN  Dick  had  left  her,  Gladys,  the  maid,  had 
experienced  the  peculiar  irritation  which  ac- 
companies a  reprimand  a  trifle  above  one's  powers  of 
analysis.  The  effect  is  much  like  having  one's  hat  re- 
peatedly knocked  awry  in  a  crowd.  At  first  the  inci- 
dent is  treated  as  an  accident,  then  as  an  ill-timed  jest, 
but  it  soon  becomes  a  fiendish  indignity,  and  in  the  end 
one  is  convinced  that  it  is  an  accursed  conspiracy 
whose  object  is  the  overthrow  of  a  bright  and  loving 
spirit. 

Gladys  pouted  openly  and,  if  possible,  with  empha- 
sis. She  had  taken  no  liberties,  she  had  not  attempted 
to  flirt,  she  had  merely  striven  to  make  the  welcome  to 
the  returning  heir  more  homelike,  and  he  had  taken 
the  opportunity  to  act  "smart."  She  despised  people 
who  acted  smart. 

She  seated  herself  in  the  rear  of  the  hall  and  pro- 
ceeded to  think  dark  and  gloomy  thoughts  about  the 
house  of  Bannington.  She  was  sick  and  tired  of 
living  at  a  place  which  had  no  feminine  supervision. 
Of  course  the  work  was  lighter,  but  then  there  was 
never  any  excitement;  and  if  the  heir  was  going  to 
come  back  and  act  smart,  why  she  would  leave,  and  that 
was  all  there  was  to  it.  In  the  circle  where  her  social 


30  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

instinct  found  its  legitimate  outlet  Gladys  was  a  popu- 
lar belle,  and  popular  belles  are  much  the  same  regard- 
less of  the  location  and  size  of  their  orbits. 

As  she  sat  thus  the  three  guests  came  down  the 
staircase  and  the  German  and  the  Russian  turned  into 
the  library  while  the  count  crossed  the  hall  and  entered 
the  drawing-room. 

The  German  was  short  and  stout  with  light  hair 
and  blue  eyes.  He  wore  a  beard  which  was  permitted 
to  work  out  its  own  scheme  of  evolution,  and  his  body 
indicated  that  his  impulses  were  not  in  the  direction 
of  physical  exertion.  He  appeared  to  be  about  forty- 
five,  and  in  spite  of  his  discourse  it  was  hard  to  believe 
that  he  had  found  existence  to  be  one  long-continued 
torture. 

The  Russian  was  of  another  type:  tall,  gaunt,  and 
dark,  his  eyes  gleamed  with  the  fervor  of  a  mystic 
and  a  religionist.  His  pale  face  was  of  a  cast  common 
to  the  martyrs  of  all  ages;  his  flesh  rested  but  loosely 
on  him,  and  it  was  plainly  evident  that  it  had  very  little 
voice  in  his  final  determinations.  His  raiment  was 
dark  and  gave  mute  testimony  that  his  mind  had  been 
on  more  important  matters  during  its  selection. 

But  the  count  was  of  a  different  type  to  either  of 
these.  He  was  of  fair  height,  graceful,  debonair,  and 
perfectly  self-possessed.  He  wore  a  silver-gray  suit, 
and  his  tie  matched  his  socks  and  the  dainty  figure  in 
his  shirt.  His  eyes  were  dark  and  prone  to  ask  ques- 
tions of  a  familiar  and  personal  nature.  His  associa- 
tion with  the  companions  already  mentioned  seemed  a 
flagrant  affront  to  the  "birds  of  a  feather"  theory. 


THE    GUESTS    TAKE    NOTICE          31 

Emil  filled  and  lighted  a  short  pipe,  pulled  a  huge 
volume  from  the  book-case  and  seated  himself  in  the 
most  comfortable  chair  with  a  satisfied  grunt.  Ivan 
rested  his  elbow  on  the  window-sill,  his  chin  on  his 
hand,  and  gazed  wistfully  on  the  lawn.  Gladys  recalled 
some  neglected  duties  in  the  drawing-room,  and  con- 
scientiously hastened  to  attend  to  them. 

The  count  was  smoking  a  cigarette  and  idly  criti- 
cizing the  furniture.  He  did  not  take  offense  at  the 
intrusion ;  instead,  he  sought  to  relieve  the  maid's  very 
perceptible  embarrassment  by  greeting  her  with  a 
soothing  smile. 

"I — I  beg  your  pardon,  sir,"  said  Gladys.  "I  did 
not  know  there  was  any  one  here.  I  wished  to  arrange 
things  a  little,  but  another  time  will  do  just  as  well." 

The  eyes  of  the  count  fell  on  the  eyes  of  the  maid 
in  a  long,  bold  gaze.  As  the  color  rose  in  her  cheeks, 
he  smiled  knowingly,  and  when  she  turned  to  leave  the 
room,  he  said  kindly :  "Don't  mind  me.  Go  right  along 
and  make  your  changes."  The  voice  of  the  count  was 
musical,  and  although  his  remarks  were  ornamented 
by  a  slight  excess  of  "z's,"  the  impression  was  that  of 
culture  rather  than  foreignness. 

"Oh,  I  shouldn't  like  to  disturb  you,"  answered 
Gladys,  who  was  thrilling  nervously — and  enjoying  the 
sensation. 

"What  is  your  name,  my  pretty  maid?"  asked  the 
count,  dropping  into  a  chair  and  leaning  his  head  on 
the  tufted  back  luxuriously. 

"My  name  is  Gladys,"  answered  the  maid  in  a  low 
tone,  while  her  eyes  fell  to  the  floor. 


32  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

"Gladys!"  repeated  Lorrain  turning  the  name  over 
with  the  relish  of  a  connoisseur.  "Gladys — how  per- 
fectly appropriate!" 

The  maid  blushed  thankfully  without  in  the  least 
knowing  why.  She  felt  vaguely  that  she  was  standing 
on  the  brink  of  an  affair.  Its  waters  appeared  cool 
and  inviting,  and  she  hoped  that  she  would  slip  in. 

"Have  you  been  long  in  the  Bannington  family?" 
asked  Lorrain. 

"Only  a  little  over  a  year,"  replied  the  maid,  who 
was  busily  moving  pieces  of  furniture  a  foot  or  so  from 
the  positions  they  had  maintained  for  several  decades. 

"That  is  the  way  in  your  country.  Now  in  mine, 
the  retainers  remain  generation  after  generation,  and 
it  is  all  one  large  family." 

"Oh,  some  of  them  do  over  here,"  said  Gladys.  "The 
rest  of  the  help  has  been  here  a  long  time ;  but  I  should 
get  weary  to  death  of  it.  I  was  educated  to  be  a 
stenographer,  but  my  health  gave. out." 

"I  could  see  at  a  glance  that  you  were  far  above 
your  station,"  said  the  count  gravely.  "But  then,"  he 
added  after  a  thoughtful  pause,  "we  all  have  to  serve 
society  in  some  capacity,  and  all  labor  is  equally  honor- 
able." 

Gladys  stole  a  glance  at  the  count's  slender  white 
hands  as  he  paused  for  another  moment  before  asking 
abruptly:  "The  Bannington  family — it  is  rather 
wealthy,  is  it  not?" 

"Oh,  mercy,  yes,"  answered  Gladys  largely.  "They 
have  tons  and  tons  of  money,  but  they  don't  do  any- 
thing with  it.  I  never  heard  of  them  giving  a  party, 


THE    GUESTS    TAKE    NOTICE          33 

but  I  suppose  it  is  because  there  are  no  ladies  in  the 
family." 

"Does  Mr.  Bannington  go  into  society  much?" 

"Never,"  replied  Gladys  scornfully.  "He  might  just 
as  well  be  poor,  the  way  he  lives.  His  clothes  always 
look  alike,  he  never  goes  to  the  opera,  and  he  moves 
between  his  office  and  this  house  as  regular  as  though 
he  was  an  interurban  train." 

"From  all  the  money  he  is  reported  to  have  given 
away  in  charity,  he  must  have  a  kind  heart,"  suggested 
Lorrain. 

"Oh,  he's  not  so  bad,"  admitted  Gladys.  "I  am  sure 
from  the  way  he  acts  that  he  was  disappointed  in  love 
when  he  was  young,  because  his  eyes  never  soften 
when  you  smile  into  them,  and  most  men  can't  help 
but  smile  back,  you  know." 

Lorrain's  smile  was  one  of  pure  amusement  at  this. 
"It  is  plain  to  be  seen  that  those  bright  eyes  of  yours 
are  not  merely  for  ornament,"  he  said.  "Has  Mr. 
Bannington  any  enemies?" 

"Oh,  somebody  is  always  writing  something  mean 
about  him  in  the  papers,  but  he  don't  seem  to  mind 
it.  The  only  man  he  seems  to  hate  is  William  Burton. 
He  is  the  head  of  another  steel  company  and  they  fight 
each  other  all  the  time.  Mr.  Lorrimer,  Mr.  Banning- 
ton's  private  secretary,  comes  out  here  often  and  I 
sometimes  overhear  them." 

"Has  Mr.  Burton  a  large  family?"  asked  Lorrain. 

"Just  one  daughter,"  replied  Gladys,  who  had  by 
now  dispensed  with  the  pretense  of  arranging  furni- 
ture and  was  leaning  on  a  stand  in  a  posture  which 


34  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

her  mirror  assured  her  was  truly  captivating.  "They 
live  next  to  us.  They  bought  the  old  Fitch  property 
only  a  year  ago — just  for  spite,  Mr.  Bannington  says." 

The  count  relapsed  into  reflection,  which  was  dis- 
turbed by  an  impatient  movement  on  the  part  of  the 
maid.  "At  what  hour  is  luncheon  served?"  he  asked. 

"It  must  be  ready  now,"  replied  Gladys  guiltily  as 
she  started  to  leave. 

As  she  passed  Lorrain  he  rose  to  his  feet  and  their 
hands  met.  He  gave  hers  a  slight  pressure,  and  her 
face  was  bright  and  rosy  as  she  hurried  down  the  hall. 
"Good  flattery  is  wasted  on  such  a  silly  creature  as 
that,"  murmured  the  count  as  he  took  a  turn  about  the 
room.  "It  irritates  me  to  think  of  these  Bannington 
boors  having  all  this  money.  It  is  most  appropriate 
that  money  has  no  esprit  de  corps.  I  think  the  maid 
will  be  useful." 

Lorrain  strolled  across  the  hall  and  into  the  library 
where  Emil  immediately  began  a  convincing  argument 
to  prove  that  the  discovery  of  steel  had  been  an  im- 
portant factor  in  the  development  of  the  human  race. 
Lorrain  was  always  careful  to  avoid  being  bored  and 
as  Emil  warmed  up  to  his  lecture,  he  hummed  a  little 
dance  air,  and  scanned  the  titles  in  the  book-case. 

At  this  juncture  Dick  burst  into  the  room  followed 
by  Mulligan.  "What  do  you  think  the  lazy  ignoram- 
uses have  done  with  Mulligan  ?"  he  demanded  angrily. 
"Here  were  two  big  strong  men  with  nothing  to  do 
but  exercise  three  horses  which  were  never  used,  and 
they  have  kept  him  shut  up  in  a  dark  hole  with  nothing 
to  do  but  eat  his  heart  out  and  take  on  surplus  fat.  I 


THE    GUESTS    TAKE    NOTICE          35 

left  orders  to  have  him  washed  and  brushed  and  exer- 
cised and — tended  to.  All  they  did  was  to  feed  him, 
and  he  is  ten  pounds  overweight  and  cross  on  account 
of  his  liver.  If  I  can  fasten  the  blame  on  any  one  head 
I  shall  certainly  try  to  knock  that  head  off.  Things 
have  come  to  pretty  pass — " 

"Do  you  mean  to  say  that  you  would  knock  a  man's 
head  off  on  account  of  a  dog?"  asked  Ivan  in  a  voice 
denoting  a  doubt  as  to  his  own  hearing. 

"I  most  certainly  would  on  account  of  Mulligan/* 
replied  Dick  emphatically. 

"Surely  you  are  but  jesting?"  questioned  the  dis- 
mayed Ivan.  "Such  a  thing  is  unbelievable  in  free 
America." 

"What  has  free  America  got  to  do  with  it?"  de- 
manded Dick.  "I  paid  five  hundred  dollars  for  him 
when  he  was  a  pup,  and  he  has  taken  three  blue  ribbons. 
Why,  Great  Scott,  man,  you  surely  aren't  able  to  tell 
a  dog  when  you  see  one.  But  entirely  aside  from  any 
intrinsic  value,  I  had  Mulligan  with  me  the  entire  last 
year  at  college  and  he  was  the  mascot  of  the  team  and 
the—" 

"Five  hundred  dollars  for  a  pup!"  exclaimed  Emil  in 
guttural  astonishment.  When  Emil  became  interested 
in  a  subject  his  eyes  would  protrude  and  his  lips  purse 
out  and  his  remarks  would  seem  to  explode  a  few 
inches  in  front  of  his  lips.  "Five  hundred  dollars  for 
a  pup — when  the  income  of  the  average  working-man 
is  only  four  hundred  and  t'irty-seven  dollars!"  Emil 
shook  his  large  head  protestingly. 

"What  has  that  got  to  do  with  it?"  cried  Dick. 


36  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

"What  would  five  hundred  dollars  divided  among  all 
the  average  working-men  amount  to  ?" 

"And  also  the  food,"  resumed  Emil,  looking  re- 
proachfully at  the  bulldog.  "Such  a  dog  as  this  large 
quantities  of  food  would  consume." 

"Why,  the  year  I  had  him  at  college,  he  cost  me 
over  four  hundred  dollars ;  food,  baths,  damages,  and 
all,"  said  Dick. 

"Four  hundred  dollars — "  repeated  Emil  accusingly, 
"and  in  this  country  at  all  times,  over  eight  million 
children  from  not  sufficient  food,  suffer." 

"Well,  I'm  not  a  miracle-worker,  am  I  ?"  demanded 
Dick  impatiently.  "I  couldn't  possibly  buy  enough 
loaves  and  fishes  for  four  hundred  dollars  to  feed  eight 
million  children  for  a  year." 

"For  four  hundred  dollars,  a  year's  nourishment  for 
three  small  children  could  be  provided,"  began  Emil 
instructively.  "You,  yourself,  say  that  already  the  dog 
is  too  fat.  Why  not,  then,  devote  but  one  hundred  to 
the  dog,  and  with  the  remainder  supply  the  wants  of 
two  poor  children?  I  admit  that  the  giving  of  in- 
discriminate alms  is  not  for  good,  but  it  is  better  to 
keep  two  children  than  one  bulldog,  alive;  and  in  this 
case  the  dog,  also,  could  continue  to  exist.  Most  gen- 
erally ill  health  is  to  be  at  the  door  of  unscientific 
diet  laid.  A  ration  should  consist  of  a  proper  balance 
of  the  elements.  In  nuts,  the  per  cents,  of  fat,  nitro- 
gen—" 

"Oh,  chop  it!"  broke  in  Dick.  "You  may  revel  in 
reducing  life  to  fractions,  but  I'm  not  a  comptometer, 
myself.  When  I  get  a  friend — a  real,  genuine,  true- 


THE    GUESTS    TAKE    NOTICE          37 

hearted  friend,  like  Mulligan — he  gets  the  call  before 
a  lot  of  people  that  I  never  saw.  I'm  willing  to  do  all 
I  can  for  them,  but — " 

"Yes,"  interrupted  Emil  contentiously,  "but  you 
said  that  already  he  was  too  fat." 

"You  don't  think  that  all  a  dog  needs  is  food,  do 
you?"  retorted  Dick.  "Not  on  your  life.  He  needs 
sympathy  and  amusement  and  a  bit  of  a  lark  now  and 
again,  and  some  one  to  love  him  and  some  one  to 
love.  Why,  Mulligan's  been  petted  and  mauled  by  half 
the  college — do  you  suppose  that  he  doesn't  know  it  is 
a  devilish  insult  to  shut  him  up  in  a  dirty  stable  ?" 

"Still,"  said  Ivan  in  his  low,  impassioned  voice, 
"with  the  cries  of  the  hungry  children  going  up  all 
over  the  globe,  I  can  not  understand — " 

"I  didn't  create  the  entire  globe,  did  I?"  flashed 
Dick.  "Nor  I  didn't  buy  it,  and  furthermore  I  am  not 
responsible  for  all  the  cries.  They  were  going  up  when 
I  arrived,  and  from  all  I  can  learn  on  the  subject  it 
was  no  novelty  even  then ;  but  Mulligan — " 

Lorrain  had  been  leaning  against  the  book-case, 
smiling  with  condescending  amusement.  Now  he  placed 
his  slender  hand  on  Dick's  shoulder  and  said  sooth- 
ingly :  "Still,  my  dear  Bannington,  it  seems  to  me  that 
you  are  a  trifle  too  sentimental  about  a  mere  dog." 

"Mere  dog!"  snorted  Dick.  "Well,  if  a  man  won't 
get  sentimental  over  a  dog,  what  in  thunder  will  he  get 
sentimental  over — man  in  the  abstract?  Bah,  a  dog 
don't  drink  nor  smoke  nor  borrow  a  lot  of  money 
nor  disgrace  his  family,  nor  ever,  under  any  circum- 
stances, go  back  on  his  friend.  Now  listen  to  me — a 


38  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

dog  is  the  truest  friend  a  man  ever  has;  and  if  a  man 
can't  be  true  to  one  friend,  I'll  bet  four  dollars  he  never 
ruins  his  health  working  for  the  good  of  the  human 
race." 

At  this  point  Higgins  came  to  the  library  door, 
bowed,  and  said  ceremoniously:  "Luncheon  is  served, 
sir." 


CHAPTER  V 

MULLIGAN,  VOLUNTEER   CHAUFFEUR 

EfNCHEON  was  neither  a  soothing  nor  a  truly 
social  affair.  Dick  resented  unsympathetic  criti- 
cism. Lorrain  had  the  faculty  of  irritating  without 
especial  effort ;  Ivan  had  a  tender  heart  which  throbbed 
in  unison  with  the  misery  of  the  whole  world  without 
hardening  toward  those  with  whom  it  came  into  direct 
contact — a  tender  heart  indeed — while  Emil  had  culti- 
vated the  art  of  shutting  off  all  things  which  threatened 
to  bore  him.  He  ate  his  luncheon  in  contented  silence, 
Ivan  in  hurt  silence,  Lorrain  in  amused  silence,  and 
Dick  in  indignant  silence.  This  quadruple  silence 
finally  got  on  the  nerves  of  even  Higgins,  the  butler. 

"You  professional  lovers  .of  humanity  have  the 
entire  house  at  your  disposal  until  your  grouch  wears 
away.  I  am  going  to  take  Mulligan  for  some  exer- 
cise," said  Dick,  pushing  back  his  chair  as  soon  as  they 
had  finished. 

"Would  it  not  be  better  to  discuss  our  plans?"  asked 
Ivan.  "We  have  come  a  long  way  to  carry  out  a  great 
purpose — is  it  wise  to  permit  a  dog  to  interfere?" 

"The  coming  revolution  is  not  running  on  so  narrow 
a  schedule  that  the  time  required  to  give  a  dog  a  walk 
is  going  to  interfere  seriously,"  rejoined  Dick,  smiling, 
but  with  the  dregs  of  sarcasm  still  perceptible. 

39 


40  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

"How  long  a  walk  do  you  estimate  will  be  neces- 
sary?" asked  Lorrain  soberly. 

A  hot  answer  sprang  to  Dick's  lips,  but  he  closed 
them  tightly  for  a  moment  and  then  said :  "Mulligan 
weighs  seventy-five  pounds,  he  should  weigh  sixty-five 
pounds;  Emil  can  estimate  the  effect  this  would  have 
on  his  heart  action  and  how  much  exercise  it  would  be 
safe  to  give  him  at  the  start,  but  I  think  I  shall  be  back 
by  three  o'clock  at  the  latest,  and  if  you  are  in  a  decent 
humor  by  that  time  we  can  take  up  the  lines  mapped 
out  and  go  into  them  thoroughly." 

Emil  had  been  making  himself  a  Rochefort  sandwich 
as  an  afterthought  and  now  his  white  teeth  bit  through 
the  hard  crackers  before  he  answered  with  serious 
calmness :  "Such  a  question  is  not  in  an  off-hand  man- 
ner to  be  answered,  neither  is  it  important  enough  to 
receive  the  time  necessary  to  go  into  it  with  thorough- 
ness. What  we  ought  to  do  is  to  continue  our  study 
of  the  chart  I  have  prepared  on  the  peculiar  labor  con- 
ditions of  this  country.  We  are  with  the  older  coun- 
tries familiar ;  but  with — " 

"Good !"  interrupted  Dick.  "That  will  work  the  ill 
nature  out  of  you  and  when  I  return  we  shall  be  ready 
for  a  good  work-out.  So  long !  Remember,  the  place 
is  yours." 

Hastily  running  up  to  his  room,  Dick  put  on  a  rough 
tweed  suit,  cap  and  puttees,  and  darted  out  of  the  side 
door  eagerly  whistling  the  old-time  call.  It  is  good  to. 
return  to  one's  boyhood  home  and  it  is  good  to  feel 
like  a  boy  again,  and  Dick  was  lucky  enough  to  have 
this  latter  phase  slip  in  without  attracting  his  attention. 


MULLIGAN,    CHAUFFEUR  41 

Mulligan  galloped  awkwardly  around  the  corner  of  the 
house,  leaped  on  his  master,  and  then  returned  from 
whence  he  had  come.  Dick  followed  in  surprise.  He 
was  not  accustomed  to  a  dog  which  had  more  important 
matters  than  a  ramble  to  attend  to.  His  surprise 
changed  to  indignation  when  he  saw  Mulligan  seek- 
ing to  gulp  the  contents  of  a  platter  heaped  with  food. 
"Mulligan,  come  here!"  he  called  sternly. 

Mulligan  came  with  evident  reluctance  and  Dick 
stormed  into  the  kitchen.  "I  want  it  to  be  understood 
that  no  one  is  to  feed  that  dog  from  now  on,  except 
myself.  Don't  mistake  this!  If  I  don't  feed  him  for 
a  week  you  just  let  him  starve.  Do  you  understand?" 

"We  had  orders,"  began  the  cook,  but  Dick  broke 
in  without  ceremony : 

"All  former  orders  concerning  that  dog  are  canceled. 
Another  thing  we  may  as  well  arrange  right  now:  I 
don't  intend  to  issue  many  orders,  but  when  I  do,  I 
don't  want  them  discussed;  I  want  them  carried  out. 
Come  on,  Mulligan." 

Dick  and  the  dog  started  away  at  a  brisk  walk,  leav- 
ing the  cook  speechless  with  indignation.  When  she 
recovered  she  tossed  things  right  and  left  in  a  fit  of 
rage  while  she  stated  that  she  had  cooked  her  last 
meal  for  a  Bannington.  There  was  none  to  dispute 
her,  so  she  had  ample  space  in  which  to  voice  her 
entire  list  of  grievances.  The  divide  was  reached  when 
she  clenched  her  fist  and  cried :  "No,  I  shall  stay  and 
cook  so  that  no  one  can  ate  it."  After  her  passion  had 
spent  itself,  she  settled  to  level  ground  once  more  with 
the  shrewd  remark:  "Well,  takin'  it  all  in  all,  I'd 


42  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

ruther  be  bossed  by  two  min  thin  wan  woman.  I'll 
stay  on  a  while  and  see  what  happens." 

In  the  meantime,  Dick  had  recovered  his  usual 
serenity.  Mulligan  had  not  pouted,  he  had  accepted 
the  decision  as  final,  placing  his  interrupted  meal 
with  the  other  useless  items  of  past  history,  and  was 
now  in  a  mood  to  enter  fully  into  the  joy  of  the 
moment.  He  pulled  on  a  rope,  he  ran  after  sticks,  he 
chased  squirrels,  and  he  panted  so  strenuously  that 
even  Dick  was  satisfied  that  a  real  bulldog  was  still 
hidden  away  under  the  rolls  of  superfluous  fat. 

Suddenly,  the  playfulness  left  the  dog's  face  and  he 
stiffened  into  rigid  attention  while  the  bristles  rose 
along  his  back.  Following  Mulligan's  gaze  Dick  was 
surprised  to  find  it  resting  on  two  figures  coming 
toward  him  on  a  path  which  wound  through  the  thick 
undergrowth.  One  was  of  a  girl  of  nineteen  or  twenty, 
walking  with  the  free  open  stride  of  an  outdoor  life 
and  engrossed  in  playing  with  a  beautiful  collie  which 
frisked  beside  her.  As  Dick  raised  himself  on  tiptoe  to 
get  a  better  view,  the  collie,  who  was  to  windward, 
happened  to  catch  a  menacing  scent  and  he,  too,  stif- 
fened with  alert  watchfulness. 

"Keep  at  heel,  Mulligan,"  said  Dick  in  a  low  tone  as 
he  resumed  his  walk  along  the  path. 

The  girl  had  not  caught  sight  of  him  and  as  she 
rounded  a  clump  of  bushes,  she  gave  the  collie  a  gentle 
shove.  It  is  hard  for  dogs  to  appreciate  the  dullness  of 
human  senses,  and  the  collie,  no  doubt,  supposing  that 
she  was  as  fully  aware  of  the  approaching  strangers 
as  he  was,  evidently  interpreted  the  action  as  an  appeal 


MULLIGAN,    CHAUFFEUR  43 

to  his  chivalry.  Chivalry  is  one  of  the  strongest  ele- 
ments in  the  character  of  a  collie.  Sometimes  the  poor 
things  are  wasted  on  an  environment  which  offers  the 
inborn  chivalry  but  little  opportunity  of  expression; 
but  in  this  case  no  such  distressing  condition  prevailed. 
The  girl  would  have  inspired  the  yellowest  cur  of  them 
all  with  chivalry. 

If  a  dog  would  learn  to  approach  an  unexpected 
situation  with  discreet  analysis,  he  would  save  his  fond 
owner  much  embarrassment ;  but  his  habit  of  yielding 
to  impulse  at  the  most  inopportune  times  is  a  certainty 
not  to  be  lightly  overlooked.  No  mere  human  can  de- 
scribe a  dog  fight — the  actions  are  so  much  quicker 
than  the  adjustability  of  the  dull  human  eye.  Appar- 
ently the  chivalrous  collie,  with  a  short,  whiny  bark, 
sprang  on  the  stolid  bulldog  and  bit  the  side  of  his 
neck.  The  stolid  bulldog  had  studied  canine  anatomy 
during  his  college  course  and  he  had  not  the  slightest 
superstition  regarding  a  dog-bite.  He  silently  and  with 
grave  gentleness  seized  on"  the  collie's  fore  paw  at  the 
joint  and  settled  himself  to  the  grateful  task  of  render- 
ing the  limb  useless  for  the  ensuing  three  weeks. 

Dick,  however,  was  thoroughly  versed  in  the  accom- 
plishments of  his  four-footed  friend,  and  almost  as 
rapidly  as  the  dogs  had  moved  he  thrust  the  stout  stick 
he  was  carrying  into  Mulligan's  mouth  and  gave  his 
collar  a  throttling  twist  with  his  left  hand.  The  collie 
gave  one  agonized  yelp — he  was  not  accustomed  to 
fighting  and  the  pain  was  becoming  terrific — and  as 
Mulligan's  jaws  separated,  he  turned  tail  and  fled  with- 
out shame  through  the  woods.  He  would  probably 


44  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

never  again  retreat,  but  this  was  his  first  real  punish- 
ment and  his  heart  was  still  puppy-soft.  Dick  was  glad 
to  see  that  he  used  all  four  feet  as  he  ran. 

He  was  holding  Mulligan  in  his  arms  and  boxing 
his  ears  sternly,  while  Mulligan  tried  his  best  to  keep 
from  grinning.  At  that  moment  a  small  stick  fell 
with  a  resounding  whack  on  Mulligan's  fat  sides.  Dick 
whirled  and  his  eyes  opened  wide  with  astonishment 
when  he  saw  that  the  stick  had  been  wielded  by  the  girl 
of  nineteen  or  twenty  and  that  her  eyes  were  hot  with 
open  anger. 

He  dropped  the  dog  to  the  ground  and  stood  staring 
into  the  eyes  of  the  girl;  while  Mulligan  licked  his 
chops  reminiscently  and  quivered  his  twisted  tail  in 
suppressed  joy.  There  is  no  use  trying  to  disguise  the 
fact  that  Mulligan  was  tough;  this  was  not  only  a 
natural  gift,  it  had  been  cultivated  with  scientific  care, 
and  it  might  as  well  be  admitted  that  he  gloried  in  it 
and  made  no  attempt  to  eradicate  it  in  order  to  make 
room  for  that  universal  love  so  beautifully  spoken  of 
in  esoteric  Buddhism.  Like  most  of  the  rest  of  us  he 
had  learned  that  in  order  to  enjoy  the  kind  of  society 
he  preferred  it  was  necessary  to  restrain  many  of  his 
primitive  appetites;  but,  like  most  of  the  rest  of  us 
again,  he  cherished  these  primitive  appetites  to  his 
bosom  and  kept  them  fresh  and  strong  for  the  occa- 
sional outbreak.  After  his  months  in  the  gloomy 
box-stall,  this  was  life,  rich  glowing  life,  and  while  he 
was  willing  to  accept  punishment,  he  felt  no  sincere 
repentance  in  his  inmost  heart.  He  regretted  that  he 
had  not  been  permitted  to  complete  the  task  so  well 


MULLIGAN,    CHAUFFEUR  45 

suited  to  his  capacity ;  but  this  was  far  from  true  peni- 
tence. 

"That  was  an  unjust  blow,"  said  Dick  decisively. 

"It  would  be  impossible  to  be  unjust  to  such  a  crea- 
ture," retorted  the  girl  with  spirit.  "No  one  has  a  right 
to  allow  a  vicious  brute  like  that  to  run  at  large." 

"He  is  not  a  vicious  brute,  and  he  is  not  running  at 
large,"  returned  Dick  who  had  recovered  his  control 
sufficiently  to  assume  the  dreadful  calm  which  so  irri- 
tates an  angry  woman. 

"I  suppose  he  did  not  bite  Bayard,  either." 

"I  don't  know  who  Bayard  is;  but  if  he  is  the  shep- 
herd dog  that—" 

"Shepherd  dog!"  interrupted  the  girl  indignantly. 
"Well,  of  course  a  man  too  ignorant  to  recognize  a 
beautiful  Scotch  collie  on  sight  could  not  be  expected 
to  have  correct  ideas  on  any  subject.  Bayard  is  already 
a  bench  winner  in  the  puppy  class,  and  his  pedigree 
reaches  back — 

"His  pedigree  may  be  all  right,"  broke  in  Dick,  using 
the  soft  voice  which  does  not  turn  away  wrath,  "I  have 
no  fault  to  find  with  his  pedigree,  but  he  certainly  has 
atrocious  manners.  What  business  had  he  to  leap  on 
Mulligan  and  attempt  to — " 

"He  thought  he  had  to  defend  me,"  interposed  the 
girl  loftily. 

"He  had  better  stick  to  the  benches,"  rejoined  Dick 
as  though  giving  advice  which  had  been  eagerly  sought. 
"He'll  never  win  any  prizes  at  thinking.  Mulligan  was 
peacefully  walking  at  my  side  and  even  a  shepherd  dog 
ought  to  have  some  conception  of  the  fitness  of  things. 


46  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

If  I  had  a  dog  whc  couldn't  frame  up  a  better  excuse 
for  fighting  than  that,  I'd  put  mittens  on  his  teeth." 

"He  never  thought  of  fighting — "  indignantly.  "He's 
too  much  of  a  gentleman  to  stoop  to  vulgar  fighting. 
But  he  was  willing  to  risk  his  life  to  save  mine.  You 
know  perfectly  well  that  bulldogs  are  the  most 
treacherous — " 

"Treacherous?  Bulldogs?  Well,  I  can't  be  angry 
with  you :  your  education  has  been  entirely  too  limited 
for  you  to  be  held  accountable  for  any  kind  of  a  break. 
Now,  listen,  while  I  furnish  you  with  a  few  much- 
needed  facts :  a  sharp-nosed  dog  is  always  jealous,  and 
snappy,  and  treacherous — now  don't  interrupt,  please — » 
while  a  blunt-nosed  dog  is  always  honest,  do  you  under- 
stand, honest;  and  faithful  and  slow  to  anger  and — " 

"Oh,  they  are  perfect  dears!"  cried  the  girl  wither- 
ingly.  "Just  see  what  a  beautiful  face  that  cherub  with 
you  has!  Such  a  refined  profile,  such  pleasing  teeth 
when  he  smiles  that  adorable  smile !  Such  a  face  as  that 
would  inspire  any  stranger  with  confidence." 

"Of  course  his  face  is  a  bit  grim,"  returned  Dick', 
examining  his  pet  critically.  "It's  fixed  that  way  on 
purpose,  in  order  to  protect  his  heart.  Why,  a  bulldog 
is  so  gentle  and  loving  and  friendly  that  if  it  were  not 
for  his — well,  dignified  and  self-respecting  expression, 
every  Tom,  Dick  and  Harry  would  be  taking  a  kick  at 
his  ribs.  I  presume  you  are  aware  that  cowardice  is  a 
very  prevalent  human  characteristic,  and  that  it  is  most 
commonly  displayed  in  oppressing  the  weak.  For  in- 
stance, take  our  rich  men — " 


MULLIGAN,    CHAUFFEUR  47 

"Oh,  never  mind  them — one  evil  at  a  time,"  inter- 
posed the  girl  lightly.  She  was  cool  enough  by  this 
time  to  find  pleasure  in  this  chance  passage  at  arms 
and  her  eyes  were  flashing  brilliantly  as  she  prepared 
to  fence  with  all  her  skill.  "We  are  discussing  bull- 
dogs now,"  she  resumed,  "and  I  say  that  they  are  never 
trustworthy,  and  that  this  one  is  positively  cross.  Look 
at  him." 

"He  is  not  cross,"  answered  Dick  earnestly;  "his 
liver  is  out  of  order.  You'd  be  peevish,  too,  if  your 
liver  was  out  of  order." 

The  color  swept  into  the  girl's  face;  but  she  was  a 
modern  girl  possessing  a  sense  of  fair  play  approxi- 
mating the  masculine,  and  she  saw  that  Dick  was  too 
much  in  earnest  to  be  flippant. 

"Well,"  she  rejoined  bravely,  "well,  if  it  was,  I'd — 
I'd  consult  a  physician;  not  go  about  biting  people. 
And  it  is  nearly  always  a  bulldog  that  goes  mad  and 
bites  little  children." 

"It  always  is,"  replied  Dick  with  heavy  sarcasm, 
"and  it  is  always  a  divinely  beautiful  girl  that  gets  kid- 
napped or  murdered.  You  appear  to  be  pitifully  un- 
sophisticated. Haven't  you  ever  studied  styles  in  head- 
lines? How  would  this  look — A  dear  little  cocker 
spaniel  bites  a  two-hundred-pound  man  on  the  instep? 
No,  it  is  always  an  immense  bulldog,  and  he  always 
lacerates  the  throat;  but  if  you  trace  it  down  you  will 
find  that  the  sensational  reporters  are  net  generally 
chosen  as  judges  at  the  bench  shows.  You  have  prob- 
ably heard  of  the  free  press.  The  term  means  that  it 


48  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

is  free  in  its  choice  of  adjectives.  Why,  talking  about 
a  free  press — " 

"No,  we  are  not  talking  about  a  free  press,  we  are 
talking  about  bulldogs,  which  should  never  be  free  at 
all,  but  forced  to  remain  with  muzzles  on,  chained  in 
their  own  back  yards — " 

" — fed  on  bread  and  water,  and  beaten  with  many 
stripes,"  interjected  Dick.  "I  hope  if  there  is  such  a 
thing  as  transmigration  of  souls,  I  don't  come  back  as 
your  bulldog." 

"You  need  not  be  alarmed.  It  would  not  surprise  me 
in  the  least  if  you  did  come  back  as  a  bulldog;  but  as  I 
shall  never,  under  any  circumstances,  own  one,  you  run 
no  risk  of  belonging  to  me." 

Dick  looked  at  the  girl.  She  was  wearing  a  trim, 
tailor-made  suit  of  light  weight  material ;  the  neck  of 
her  shirtwaist  was  low  and  a  smooth,  beautifully 
rounded  throat  rose  from  it ;  her  complexion  was  clear ; 
her  hair  was  a  dark  auburn,  and  he  thought  her  eyes 
would  be  a  deep,  soft  brown — when  the  glint  of  the 
fray  was  not  in  them. 

"Oh,  come  now,"  he  said  in  a  new  tone,  "that  is 
rather  blunt,  don't  you  know.  I  would  almost  be  will- 
ing to  be  your  collie." 

She  frowned  sternly  as  she  totally  ignored  his  re- 
mark, and  said  severely,  "And  another  thing,  this  is 
private  property.  What  right  have  you,  or  your  bull- 
dog to  be  trespassing  on  it?" 

A  grin  of  admiration  stole  over  Dick's  face.  "Well, 
really  you  have  a  way  with  you,  all  right,"  he  said 
frankly.  "When  it  comes  to  staking  out  a  bluff  you 


MULLIGAN,   CHAUFFEUR  49 

don't  go  about  it  in  a  shy  and  diffident  manner.  If 
any  of  us  three  be  trespassers,  I  can  prove  that  it  is 
neither  Mulligan  nor  myself." 

"I  have  walked  here  every  morning  for  the  last 
month,  and  I  have  never  seen  either  you  or  the  dog 
before,"  responded  the  girl  with  scarcely  perceptible 
hesitation. 

"I  just  arrived  this  morning;  but  Mulligan  has  been 
here  all  the  time,  and  it  is  a  crime  that  you  have  not 
seen  him." 

"A  crime?" 

"Yes,  a  crime.  He  should  have  been  exercised  every 
day;  but  instead  they  have  kept  him  shut  up — accord- 
ing to  your  plan." 

"You  know  perfectly  well  that  that  is  not  really  my 
plan,  even  for  such  menacing  creatures  as  bulldogs," 
answered  the  girl,  a  small  note  of  protest  modifying 
her  tone,  "but  from  what  I  know  of  the  Bannington 
temperament,  I  should  not  think  it  the  kind  to  take 
much  interest  in  the  welfare  of  a  fellow  creature,  much 
less  a  dumb  brute.  But  then  I  suppose  I  should  not  talk 
this  way.  You  are  a  guest,  I  presume." 

"Yes,  that's  it,  I'm  a  guest,"  replied  Dick  heartily, 
"but  then  don't  mind  me.  I  am  a  great  admirer  of  free 
speech.  Won't  you  take  a  seat  so  that  we  can  continue 
the  discussion  more  comfortably?" 

For  the  first  time  the  girl  appeared  to  be  self-con- 
scious. "But  I  don't  know  you,"  she  said. 

"Well,  you're  not  taking  any  more  risk  than  I  am — 
I  don't  know  you,  either.  Come  on,  here's  a  convenient 
bench." 


50 

» 

The  girl  took  a  few  steps  toward  the  bench,  hesitated 
and  said,  "But  this  is  horribly  unconventional." 

"What  do  you  care?"  rejoined  Dick  cheerily.  "Most 
of  our  really  glad  hours  are.  You  are  not  a  conven- 
tional person,  anyway.  You  come  on  another's  property 
with  a  snappy  dog,  and  it  bites  the  perfectly  behaved 
dog  of  a  perfect  stranger;  after  which  you  turn  in  and 
abuse  the  perfect  stranger  and  his  perfectly  behaved 
dog.  Now,  if  you  have  any  real  objections,  trot  them 
out;  but  don't  drag  in  poor  old  overworked  conven- 
tionality." 

The  girl  looked  into  Dick's  eyes  inquiringly.  They 
were  good  eyes,  clean  and  steady,  and  still,  in  secret 
rebellion  against  his  will,  holding  something  of  the 
knightly  diffidence  of  boyhood.  She  took  a  few  more 
steps  and  then  with  a  quizzical  smile  said,  "I  really 
think  I  should  be  going." 

"If  thy  thoughts  offend  thee,  cast  them  out,"  re- 
sponded Dick.  "The  only  way  to  have  any  fun  with  a 
convention  is  to  break  it,  and  no  one  knows  this  better 
than  yourself.  If  we  had  been  properly  introduced  you 
would  have  been  bored  to  death  trying  to  start  a  con- 
versation; whereas,  you  know  that  you  have  fairly 
revelled  in  the  opportunity  to  flay  a  perfect  stranger. 
A  few  moments  ago,  I  was  a  perfect  stranger,  you 
know." 

"No,  you  were  only  a  stranger,"  murmured  the  girl 
dreamily.  "Men  are  never  perfect." 

"I  suppose  that  is  true,"  assented  Dick.  "At  least  it 
is  said  often  enough.  Now,  then,  sit  down  and  let's 
have  a  truce  for  full  five  minutes/' 


MULLIGAN,    CHAUFFEUR  51 

The  girl  was  thoroughly  enjoying  the  spice  of  ad- 
venture which  her  carefully  trained  conscience  found 
quite  pungent.  She  sat  on  the  bench  at  a  safe  distance 
from  Dick  and  looked  at  Mulligan  as  though  she  were 
really  afraid  of  him.  "What  is  your  name?"  she  asked 
without  raising  her  eyes. 

Dick  waited  a  moment  and  then  answered :  "He  does 
everything  except  talk.  His  name  is  Mulligan." 

"That  is  stupid.  Any  one  could  tell  that  his  name 
was  Mulligan  after  one  glance  at  his  features — they 
are  so  prize-fightery.  I  meant  what  is  your  name?" 

"My  name?"  hesitated  Dick.  "Oh,  yes,  my  name — 
Why,  my  name  is —  But  then,  what  is  yours?  It  is 
always  customary  to  give  your  own  name  first  when 
asking  the  name  of  another." 

"We  do  not  care  anything  about  customs,"  scoffed 
the  girl.  "They  are  as  obsolete  as  conventions.  I  claim 
priority  of  question — what  is  your  name?" 

"Foiled  again !  Well,  I  am  not  ashamed  of  my  name ; 
my  name  is  John  Paul  Jones." 

"John  Paul  Jones,"  repeated  the  girl  thoughtfully. 
"It  seems  to  me  that  I  have  heard  that  name  before. 
I  know  I  have  heard  the  first  name,  I  distinctly  recall 
having  heard  the  second,  and  I  have  a  vague  recollec- 
tion of  having  heard  the  last,  while  the  entire  combina- 
tion, although  misty,  seems  to  have  rather  a  familiar 
sound.  I  shall  be  equally  frank;  my  name  is  Mary 
Smith." 

"I  am  pleased  to  meet  you,  Miss  Smith,"  said  Dick, 
shaking  hands  ceremoniously.  "Are  you  any  relation 
to  the  Smiths  who  live  in  Brooklyn?"  They  both 


52  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

laughed  and  Dick  resumed,  "But  honestly,  I  am  de- 
lighted to  meet  you." 

In  spite  of  its  burlesque,  it  was  so  much  like  a  formal 
introduction  that  for  a  moment  they  were  silent,  and 
then  the  girl  said :  "Isn't  it  odd  how  little  it  takes  to 
amuse  a  human  being?  Here  we  have  been  either 
talking  utter  nonsense  or  else  we've  been  saying  the 
usual  things  in  the  usual  way,  and  yet  it  has  been 
rather  interesting." 

"Not  so  fast,"  cried  Dick  eagerly,  seeing  an  oppor- 
tunity for  discussion.  "You  have  accidentally  stumbled 
on  the  foundation  of  social  relations.  It  is  not  what  is 
done  in  the  world  that  makes  us  thrill,  it  is  what  we  do 
ourselves.  There  is  nothing  original  about  ham  and 
eggs,  and  yet  if  you  were  to  cook  the  ham  and  eggs, 
and  I  were  to  help  you  eat  them,  it  would  be  an  un- 
forgetable  feast.  It  is  the  'usness'  of  the  situation 
which  makes  it  delightful !" 

The  girl  smiled,  but  he  noticed  that  the  curtains  were 
drawn  a  shade  closer  across  her  frank  eyes.  "I  did  not 
intimate  that  it  was  delightful,"  she  said.  "I  merely 
remarked  on  the  easy  standard  by  which  we  measure 
amusement." 

"That's  right,  be  consistent;  if  you  fail  to  rub  it  in 
completely  the  first  time,  try,  try  again.  Do  you  reside 
in  the  neighborhood  ?" 

"I  don't  live  so  very  far — just  a  pleasant  walk." 

"I'll  swear  it  would  be.  When  you  start  back,  I  shall 
go  along  and  make  the  test." 

Again  the  smile,  again  were  the  curtains  drawn,  and 
this  time  she  rose,  saying :  "Oh,  no,  indeed.  And, 


MULLIGAN,    CHAUFFEUR  53 

come  to  think  of  it,  I  must  hurry  home  at  once.  I  must 
see  what  has  become  of  Bayard." 

"Bayard  is  all  right.  At  the  rate  he  was  going  when 
last  seen,  I  have  no  hesitancy  in  saying  that  he  has  ar- 
rived at  his  destination,  no  matter  where  it  was.  I 
want  to  get  better  acquainted.  Do  you  do  the  society 
much?" 

"Oh,  no,  I — I  am  a  poor  girl,  you  know,"  she  re- 
plied, seating  herself  once  more. 

Dick  made  a  critical  examination  as  he  replied: 
"You  wear  no  rings;  but  that  may  only  be  a  sign  of 
good  sense.  Your  clothes  are  not  very  trimmy  either ; 
but  that  also  may  only  be  another  sign  of  good  sense. 
But  that  collie  with  the  pedigree  and  the  bench  ribbons 
— that  is  neither  a  sign  of  good  sense  nor  of  poverty." 

"The  dog  was  a  gift,"  answered  the  girl.  "But  what 
do  you  mean  about  my  clothes  not  being  trimmy?" 

"Well,  they  haven't  any  of  this  uniform  stuff  on 
them,  nor  a  lot  of  that  fluffy,  flop-doodle  flubdub, 
and—" 

"Do  you  mean  that  this  dress  is  not  becoming  ?"  de- 
manded the  girl  as  she  tried  to  pull  the  skirt  a  little 
farther  over  her  walking  shoes. 

"Goodness,  no !  I  trust  I  am  not  an  arrant  coward ; 
but  neither  am  I  absolutely  reckless.  Your  dress  is  so 
becoming  that  it  just  suits  you.  It  is  a — a  pleasing 
frame  for  a  perfect  picture.  It  seems  part  of  you,  in 
fact.  Why,  until  a  moment  ago  I  was  not  aware  that 
you  had  a  dress  on.  Now  I  see  that  the  reason  was — 

"Never  mind  the  reason.  A  man's  reason  is  seldom 
interesting.  It  is  a  slow,  dreary,  painfal — " 


54  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

"Slow?"  interrupted  Dick.   "Why  it  seems  to  me — " 

"Never  mind.  I  have  no  hope  that  you  will  know 
any  more  about  seams  than  you  do  about  fit  and  trim- 
ming. We  will  not  discuss  it  further." 

"Just  like  a  woman !  They  make  a  lot  of  harsh  state- 
ments and  then  say,  'we  will  not  discuss  it  further.' ' 

"And  you  are  just  like  a  man.  They  always  preface 
every  nasty  remark  with,  'that  is  just  like  a  woman.' 
Now,  I  really  must  be  going." 

She  rose  as  though  the  interview  was  ended  and 
this  time  Dick  also  stood  up.  "When  am  I  to  see  you 
again?"  he  asked  a  little  wistfully. 

"How  can  I  tell?"  she  rejoined  and  there  was  a  new, 
delicate  shading  to  her  voice  also.  She  had  found  this 
stranger  refreshing  and  even  youth  sometimes  has  an 
intuitive  instinct  to  cling  to  its  happy  moments.  "May- 
be this  evening,  maybe  to-morrow,  maybe — never. 
You  are  stupid  enough  to  stand  as  a  type  of  your  sex : 
first  you  call  Bayard  a  shepherd  dog,  then  you  gaze  on 
a  charming  costume  for  hours  and  have  the  effrontery 
to  say  that  you  did  not  know  I  had  one  on ;  and  finally, 
you  admire  bulldogs.  I  fail  to  see  anything  attractive 
in  the  list  of  your  accomplishments." 

"You  get  discouraged  too  easily.  These  attributes 
you  have  mentioned  are  not  accomplishments;  they 
are—" 

"They  are  certainly  not  attractions,"  interposed  the 
girl.  "What  are  they?" 

"Well,  I  must  say  that  you  have  a  fine,  easy  way 
with  you,  all  right." 

"That  is  like  a  man  again.   Always  he  pretends  that 


MULLIGAN,    CHAUFFEUR  55 

he  is  eager  for  the  truth;  but  always  he  chooses  flat- 
tery." 

"I  couldn't  quite  help  being  a  man,  you  know,"  pro- 
tested Dick.  "Some  of  us  have  greatness  thrust  upon 
us.  But  to  return  to  the  list  of  traits.  Suppose  we  call 
them  vices?  Wouldn't  you  like  to  reform  some  one  so 
that  there  may  be  a  star  in  your  crown  ?" 

"Yes,  indeed!  But  I  prefer  better  material  to  work 
on.  Here  I  have  wasted  hours  on  you  and  you  do  not 
show  the  slightest  improvement." 

"That  is  the  second  time  you  have  dragged  in  the 
word  hours;  as  though  we  had  been  marooned  on  a 
desert  reef  for  half  a  lifetime.  Now,  the  time  hasn't 
been  so  tedious  with  me.  It  has  danced  along  like  one 
delicious  moment." 

"That  was  really  quite  decently  said,  and  I  forgive 
most  of  your  former  crudities ;  but  really  I  must  hurry 
away." 

"Before  you  go,"  said  Dick  as  a  last  resort,  "I  want 
you  to  shake  hands  with  Mulligan  and  make  the 
amende  honorable" 

"I  could  never  bring  myself  to  touch  the  creature," 
cried  the  girl.  "I  fear  he  would  bite  me." 

"That  is  rank  affectation.  You  know  perfectly  well 
that  every  bulldog  dotes  on  petting.  Why,  you  could 
put  your  hand  down  his  throat  and  tickle  the  roots  of 
his  tongue,  and  he  would  only  grin  about  it." 

"What  a  delightful  privilege!"  she  mocked.  "But  I 
can't  quite  believe  it." 

"Nonsense !  Come  now  and  shake  hands  with  him. 
He's  a  sensitive  soul  in  spite  of  his  rugged  build." 


56  THE   STEERING   WHEEL 

i 

Dick  seated  himself  on  the  bench  and  took  Mulli- 
gan's broad  head  between  his  hands.  The  girl  walked 
over  to  them  and  held  out  a  firm  brown  hand.  The 
dog  was  in  the  act  of  offering  his  paw  when  she  sud- 
denly straightened  and  said  decisively:  "I  must  really 
go  at  once !  No,  do  not  try  to  detain  me,  I  positively 
must  go.  Good  afternoon." 

Giving  him  no  time  for  a  reply  she  turned  and  en- 
tered the  tangled  path,  walking  hastily  in  the  direction 
from  which  she  had  come.  Dick  gazed  after  her  in 
helpless  surprise  for  a  moment  and  then  he  heard  a 
slight  sound  behind  him.  Turning,  he  saw  his  three 
friends,  and  on  each  face,  even  on  Ivan's,  was  a  know- 
ing grin. 


CHAPTER  VI 

MISS  BURTON  AT  THE  WHEEL 

T)  LESSED  is  the  privilege  of  friendship.  After  a ' 
•*-*  man  is  one's  friend,  it  is  no  longer  necessary  to 
regard  the  little  whims  and  fancies  about  which  one 
may  be  sensitive ;  while  on  the  other  hand  one  may  be 
sure  that  if  one  arrives  at  an  inopportune  time,  the  fact 
will  not  be  long  kept  a  secret.  Dick's  expression  con- 
veyed none  of  the  warmth  of  welcome,  nor  did  his 
words  present  the  formal  courtesy  for  which  the  Ori- 
ental is  noted.  With  simple  directness  and  with  some 
little  heat,  he  demanded:  "What  the  dickens  do  you 
fellows  want,  anyway?" 

"If  we  had  guessed  that  you  had  a  tryst,  we  should 
not  have  intruded,"  answered  Lorrain  blandly.  "But 
why  did  you  not  present  us?  The  young  lady  was 
charming." 

"Young  lady  ?"  returned  Dick.  "What  young  lady  ? 
That's  not  a  young  lady;  that's  merely  a  poor  girl  of 
the  neighborhood.  She's  been  taking  her  prize-winning 
collie  out  for  a  walk.  I  thought  you  were  going  to  plan 
a  campaign  while  I  took  Mulligan  for  a  work-out.  I 
told  you  I  should  join  you  before  three.  The  poor 
thing  was  sadly  in  need  of  exercise." 

Lorrain  laughed  as  he  put  his  hand  on  Dick's  shoul- 
der. "Ah,  Richard,"  he  said,  "you  may  become  a  great 

57 


58  THE   STEERING   WHEEU 

commander,  a  great  orator,  or  a  great  politician;  but 
never  a  great  diplomat.  The  poor  Mulligan  gets  but 
little  of  the  much-needed  exercise,  shaking  hands  with 
the  poor  girl  of  the  neighborhood.  And  what  need  of 
a  revolution  or  even  a  reformation,  when  the  poor 
girls,  wearing  exquisite  walking  gowns,  take  their 
prize-winning  collies  out  for  exercise?  It  is  now  after 
four  o'clock,  and  where  is  the  collie  ?" 

"The  collie  was  a  gift.  When  I  said  poor  girl  it  did 
not  necessarily  imply  that  she  was  a  slum-dweller. 
There  are  graduating  levels  in  poverty.  We  don't  go 
from  golden  pheasant  to  a  dry  crust  in  one  step.  To 
the  richest  man  all  other  men  are  poor ;  to  the  poorest, 
all  other  men  are  rich."  Dick  was  forgetting  his  irrita- 
tion in  making  a  path  for  some  of  his  pet  theories. 
"Now,  the  main  thing  is  not  so  much  the  amount  of  a 
man's  fortune  in  the  abstract ;  but  in  comparison  with 
that  of  other  men.  We  must  not  lose  sight  of  the  fact 
that—" 

" — that  Mulligan  needs  exercise,"  interjected  Lor- 
rain,  laughing. 

"How  can  you  interrupt  with  nonsense  about  a 
dog?"  demanded  Ivan,  who  had  been  warming  his 
hands  at  Dick's  little  blaze.  "He  had  just  made  a  strong 
point.  It  is,  indeed,  not  the  size  of  the  fortune  which 
counts ;  but  its  comparative  size." 

"That  is  the  whole  thing  in  a  nut-shell,"  corrobo- 
rated Emil.  "Man  does  not  select  the  most  comfortable 
scale  on  which  to  live ;  constantly  he  is  striving  to  ac- 
cumulate more  in  order  that  he  may  on  the  same  scale 
as  the  one  a  little  richer  than  himself  live.  This  is 


MISS    BURTON   AT   THE   WHEEL      59 

bound  in  unhappiness  to  result  Take  this  country  for 
instance:  in  eighteen  hundred  the  millionaires  only 
numbered — " 

"Emil,  will  you  kindly  desist?"  protested  the  count. 
"Always  you  make  me  feel  like  a  blackboard.  Never 
do  you  miss  a  chance  to  put  a  lot  of  figures  on  me. 
Man  does  not  live  by  statistics  alone.  And  you,  Rich- 
ard, are  getting  so  that  you  can  no  longer  converse — 
you  must  ever  be  making  the  grand  oration.  And  Ivan 
so  constantly  throws  suffering  humanity  in  my  face 
that  I  can  taste  it.  I  do  not  greatly  enjoy  the  taste  of 
suffering  humanity." 

"Neither  do  you  seem  over  anxious  to  labor  for  it," 
chided  Ivan.  Ivan's  world  was  a  vast  altar  and  he  spent 
his  life  in  religious  sacrifice.  Most  of  us  speak  glibly 
of  universal  love,  but  it  is  generally  an  idea,  not  an 
emotion,  and  the  very  man  who  will  be  in  a  panic  of 
sympathy  when  one  of  his  own  pinches  a  finger  will 
read  of  a  hundred  men  shut  up  in  a  burning  mine — 
and  forget  about  it  five  minutes  after.  The  social  con- 
science marks  the  highest  level  to  which  man  has  so 
far  advanced;  but  it  is  still  too  isolated  to  create  an 
epidemic.  Ivan  was  a  sensitive  nerve  center  and  all  the 
anguish  waves  of  this  little  round  world  brought  their 
throbs  to  his  tender  heart.  His  was  a  beautiful  char- 
acter, but  it  must  be  confessed  that  a  streak  of  humor 
would  have  increased  his  charm  as  a  companion. 

As  Lorrain  merely  made  a  deprecative  gesture  in  re- 
sponse to  Ivan's  remark,  Emil  said  sternly:  "Neither 
do  you  wish  to  avail  yourself  of  the  necessary  facts 
which  will  a  proper  comprehension  of  real  conditions 


60  [THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

give.  You  are  like  the  schools,  the  colleges,  and  the  uni- 
versities. In  this  country  /there  are  four  hundred  and 
twenty-three  institutions  for  higher  education.  Of 
these  only  five  are  with  adequate  chairs  of  sociology 
provided ;  and  even  these — " 

"There  is  more  than  a  grain  of  truth  in  all  this,  Lor- 
rain,"  broke  in  Dick.  "If  you  do  not  keep  in  training 
you  can  not  hope  to  convince  the  chance  listener  whom 
fate  thrusts  on  you." 

"Chance  listener  is  all  right,"  grumbled  Lorrain, 
"Talk  him  to  death  if  you  are  able;  but  spare  me.  You 
are  all  immensely  fond  of  the  parable,  listen:  A  mill 
there  was  which  never  stopped  grinding,  and  much  of 
the  time  there  was  no  grain  to  grind ;  so  in  the  end  the 
mill  ground  itself  to  pieces.  Now,  never  you  mind, 
Emil;  I  do  not  care  how  many  mills  there  are  in  this 
country,  nor  what  their  capacity  is.  What  I  am  trying 
to  expound,  is  that  because  you  lack  tact  you  are  apt 
to  become  bores,  and  the  bore  seldom  has  much  influ- 
ence. It  is  impossible  to  batter  down  established  insti- 
tutions as  a  bull  would  batter  down  a  wall.  You  are  not 
content  to  devote  yourselves  to  tearing  out  a  few  stones 
at  a  time — " 

"And  at  times,"  interrupted  Ivan  solemnly,  "it  seems 
to  me  that  you  are  like  a  fox  who  would  set  his  fellows 
to  find  a  way  through  the  wall ;  but  if  he  himself  found 
the  way  first  he  would  go  quietly  to  the  sweet  grapes 
and  say  nothing  at  all  about  it." 

"Foxes  in  this  country  do  not  eat  grapes,  Ivan,"  said 
Dick,  who  saw  that  his  friends  were  rapidly  nearing 
the  point  where  the  abstract  argument  would  be  de- 


MISS    BURTON    AT   THE   WHEEL      61 

serted  for  the  personal  taunt.  "But  looking  at  this  dis- 
cussion in  my  usual  broad-minded  way  I  am  convinced 
that  you  are  all  partly  right.  It  is  now  too  late  for  us 
to  formulate  any  plans  before  dinner;  so  I  suggest  that 
you  return  to  the  library  and  amuse  yourselves.  I — I 
want  to  finish  Mulligan's  exercise  now." 

Emil  and  Ivan  looked  at  Dick  in  surprise,  but  Lor- 
rain  grinned  knowingly. 

"Poor  dog,"  he  said  with  mock  commiseration,  "it 
is  readily  to  be  seen  that  in  the  condition  he  now  is  it 
would  make  him  nervous  to  have  any  one  but  his  mas- 
ter go  walking  with  him.  Come,  comrades,  let  us  re- 
turn to  the  house." 

"I  do  not  understand,"  said  Emil  ponderously. 
"Obesity  is  not  of  nervousness  provocative,  while  so- 
ciability is  most  efficacious  in  the  treatment  of  nervous 
disorders — " 

At  this  point  Lorrain  gave  Emil  a  gentle  shove  and 
the  three  returned  to  the  house,  Emil  continuing  his 
discourse  upon  the  pathology  of  neuremia.  Emil  was 
conversant  with  the  philosophy  of  humor,  but  he  dealt 
in  it  merely  as  an  unsuspected  by-product. 

"Lorrain  is  right,"  muttered  Dick  to  himself,  "our 
mill  grinds  too  much.  I  wish  that  three-fourths  of  it 
had  remained  in  the  house  this  afternoon.  Well,  I  am 
going  to  see  if  I  can  discover  the  place  where  the  fairy 
princess  enters  the  enchanted  woods.  Come  on,  Mulli- 
gan, you  enticing  old  mut.  You're  a  cunning  little 
cupid,  you  are !" 

Dick  stooped  and  seizing  his  canine  friend  by  the 
scruff  of  the  neck,  he  first  shook  him  and  then  tossed 


62  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

him  off  to  the  right.  This  was  the  cue  for  Mulligan  to 
growl  savagely  and  spring  on  his  master  as  though  he 
would  tear  him  to  pieces.  Engrossed  in  their  rough 
play,  both  were  startled  by  a  scream,  and  looking  up, 
Dick  found  that  he  had  almost  collided  with  a  lady  in 
whose  expression  fear  and  indignation  struggled  for 
the  mastery. 

"How  dare  you  allow  such  a  vicious  brute  as  this  to 
run  at  large?"  she  demanded. 

Dick's  bump  of  combativeness  was  healthily  promi- 
nent; furthermore,  this  lady  was  not  a  beautiful  young 
girl  of  nineteen  or  twenty.  Her  hair  was  streaked  with 
gray.  She  was  tall,  angular,  and  her  voice  was  a  trifle 
harsh.  "Now,  I'm  getting  tired  of  this,"  he  said,  not 
trying  to  hide  his  irritation.  "In  the  first  place  this  is 
not  a  vicious  brute,  in  the  second,  he  is  not  running  at 
large,  and  in  the  third,  he  has  a  right  to  be  the  first  if 
he  chooses,  and  to  do  the  second  if  I  choose.  Further- 
more— " 

"Have  you  no  regard  for  the  life  of  another?"  in- 
terposed the  lady.  "Will  your  conscience  permit  you 
to  maintain  a  beast  which  is  liable  at  any  moment  to 
tear  some  poor  child  to  pieces?  Are  you  aware  that 
you  are  trespassing  on  private  land  and  that  if  you  are 
discovered — " 

"Excuse  me,"  said  Dick  persuasively;  "but  while  you 
are  framing  up  a  few  more  questions,  I  beg  leave  to 
ask  if  you  are  a  member  of  the  Law  and  Order  League 
or  merely  an  insurance  agent  ?" 

"How  dare  you  ask  me  such  a  question?  Of  course, 
I  am  neither." 


MISS    BURTON    AT   THE   WHEEL      63 

"Well,  that  bluff  about  my  being  on  private  land  has 
been  pulled  on  me  once  before  to-day,  and  it  just  oc- 
curred to  me  that  I  should  like  to  know  what  it  was 
which  made  your  presence  here  necessary." 

For  an  instant  a  shade  of  feminine  trepidation 
crossed  the  lady's  face;  there  are  very  few  of  us  who 
do  not  get  comfort  out  of  feeling  that  we  are  right 
when  we  put  on  the  high  gear  to  go  ahead;  and  there 
was  an  assurance  in  Dick's  attitude  which  implied  firm 
faith  in  his  own  position.  The  lady  was  not  without 
courage,  however,  so  she  tossed  back  her  head  and  gave 
Dick  a  haughty  glare. 

"Really,  your  question  is  most  impertinent,"  she 
stated  convincingly,  "but  the  truth  is  that  I  am  looking 
for  a  girl,  a  mere  child,  who  came  here  to  take  a  walk." 

Instantly  many  subtle  changes  took  place  in  Dick's 
expression.  "Yes,  of  course,"  he  said  soothingly,  "and 
what  is  the  child's  name  and  where  does  she  live?  I 
shall  be  only  too  glad  to  assist  in  finding  her." 

The  lady  glanced  at  him  sharply.  "I  do  not  feel  that 
it  is  necessary  to  tell  you  either  her  name  or  address," 
she  replied  with  cautious  finality.  "It  is  plainly  evident 
that  you  have  not  seen  her,  and  are  therefore  not  in  a 
position  to  aid  me;  so  if  you  will  hold  that  ferocious 
animal,  I  shall  withdraw." 

Without  deigning  to  bow,  the  lady  turned  and 
started  to  retrace  her  steps  with  much  stiffness.  "Yes, 
but  wait,"  called  Dick.  "Did  the  child  have  a  dog  with 
her?" 

"She  did.  Did  you  see  them  ?" 

"A  big,  rough,  wolfish  sort  of  a  mongrel?"     The 


64  THE    STEERING   WHEEU 

lady  nodded  her  head.  She  was  evidently  more  eager 
to  find  the  girl  than  to  have  the  dog  treated  with  con- 
sideration. "Savage  temper,"  continued  Dick,  "nasty 
habit  of  leaping  on  peaceful,  law-abiding  dogs  and  at- 
tempting to  slay  them — name,  Bayard?" 

"Yes,  that  was  the  dog,"  replied  the  lady  eagerly. 
"Where  have  they  gone?" 

"They  have  gone,"  began  Dick,  then  paused  and  put 
on  an  expression  of  deep  import  "But  no,  you  have 
refused  to  tell  me  her  address,  I  refuse  to  reveal  her 
present  whereabouts." 

Dick  folded  his  arms  and  frowned  loftily.  Little 
lines  of  anxiety  formed  about  the  lady's  eyes.  "But 
the  conditions  are  entirely  different,"  she  pleaded.  "I 
am  worried  about  her." 

"And  you  have  good  cause." 

"Why,  what  do  you  mean?  You  alarm  me!  Tell 
me  where  she  is  ?" 

Dick's  manner  again  changed.  "Do  you  know  on 
whose  property  you  are  now  standing?"  he  flashed, 
pointing  tragically  at  her  feet. 

It  requires  more  than  a  strong  mind  to  remove  the 
feminine  entirely  from  a  woman.  The  lady  seized  her 
skirts  and  jumped.  "For  pity's  sake,  do  not  speak  like 
that!"  she  cried  indignantly.  "You  are  making  me 
nervous." 

"You  have  good  cause  to  be  nervous.  Do  you  know 
whose  property  this  is?" 

"Yes,  I  know  whose  property  this  is,  most  assuredly. 
Why?" 

Dick  slowly  took  a  pencil  and  note-book  from  his 


MISS    BURTON    AT   THE   WHEEL      65 

pocket.  "Now,  then,  I  am  ready.  What  is  your 
name?" 

"I  do  wish  that  you  would  stop!  I  refuse  to  tell 
you  my  name." 

"Then,"  said  Dick  quietly,  "I  shall  be  forced  to  take 
you  to  headquarters." 

"Don't  you  dare  to  touch  me !" 

"Then  you  must  answer  my  questions.  Is  the  child 
you  are  seeking  your  daughter?" 

"Certainly  not.    I  am  unmarried." 

Dick  wrote  the  answer  with  inflexible  gravity.  "Very 
good,"  he  said.  "Is  she  related  to  you?" 

"Yes,  she  is  a  cousin,  several  times  removed." 

"Does  she  live  with  you  ?" 

"Why  are  you  asking  me  these  questions,  and  what 
right  have  you  to  do  it  ?" 

"Madam,"  replied  Dick  with  condescending  cour- 
tesy, "if  you  were  more  conversant  with  modern  con- 
ditions, you  would  know  that  most  of  us  are  forced 
to  do  things  repugnant  to  us,  in  order  to  make  a  living. 
Again  I  ask  you,  does  she  live  with  you?" 

"What  is  your  position  here?" 

"In  the  future,  I  am  to  be  inspector  of  grounds,  and 
it  will  be  my  painful  duty  to  prevent  trespassing.  Does 
she  live  with  you?" 

"When  did  you  come  here?" 

"This  morning,  thank  you.  Does  she  live  with 
you?" 

"Yes,  she  does  live  with  me." 

"Thank  you.  Now,  then,  what  is  your  name?" 
Dick  held  his  pencil  poised  and  kept  his  eyes  on  the 


66  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

note-book.  The  lady  swallowed  twice,  and  it  was  ap- 
parent that  what  she  swallowed  was  of  a  very  bitter 
taste. 

"I  am  Miss  Burton,  and  now  I  have  answered  all 
that  I  intend  to.  I  presume  that  you  are  acting  under 
orders;  but  if  I  were  a  big  strong  man  like  you,  I 
should  be  ashamed  to  get  my  living  in  such  a  way.  I 
have  answered  your  questions,  and  now  I  want  you  to 
answer  mine.  Here  is  fifty  cents  as  a  tip.  Where  is 
this  girl  and  her  dog?" 

After  examining  it  carefully,  even  going  to  the  ex- 
tent of  biting  it,  Dick  put  the  coin  in  his  pocket,  with 
an  expression  of  great  virtue  on  his  face.  "I  pledge 
you  my  word  of  honor,  I  do  not  know,"  he  answered. 
"The  dog  left  quite  suddenly  and  did  not  mention  his 
destination.  The  girl  was  a  trifle  more  deliberate,  but 
was  equally  reticent  regarding  her  name  and  address. 
Therefore,  I  am  deeply  grateful  for  the  kind  infor- 
mation which  you  have  so  graciously  bestowed." 

For  a  moment  the  lady  glared  at  him,  while  her 
vials  of  wrath  began  to  effervesce  noticeably.  "You 
are  exactly  the  kind  of  servant  I  should  expect  to  find 
in  the  Bannington  menage,"  she  finally  said  with  a 
slight  tremble  in  her  voice.  "But  I  am  convinced  that 
your  churlish  manners  are  due  to  your  despicable 
position,  as  there  is  a  completeness  to  your  vulgarity 
which  is  entirely  beyond  the  simplicity  of  ignorance. 
Will  you  kindly  control  that  vicious  beast  until  I  have 
had  time  to  leave  the  grounds?" 

Carrying  her  head  at  the  most  haughty  angle,  and 
planting  her  feet  with  dignified  firmness,  the  lady 


MISS    BURTON   AT   THE   WHEEL      67 

strode  wrath  fully  along  the  little  path  until  the  tangle 
swallowed  her. 

"What  a  discriminating  command  of  language!" 
exclaimed  Dick,  gazing  after  her  admiringly.  "How 
seldom  it  is  that  we  find  one  who  comprehends  the 
beautiful  spreading  power  of  our  dear  old  mother 
tongue!  Now,  she  did  not  use  one  word  of  profanity, 
and  yet  she  brought  out  all  its  rich  effects." 

Suddenly  the.  hilarious  joy  of  his  afternoon's  ad- 
ventures swept  over  him  and  he  broke  into  a  peal  of 
laughter.  Forgotten  was  his  life-mission;  forgotten 
was  the  great  dignity  of  his  venerable  age.  He  slapped 
his  thighs;  he  performed  a  grotesque  war-dance;  he 
chanted  a  nonsense  rhyme  which  began:  "Oh,  rich, 
rich,  gloriously  rich!"  and  as  Mulligan  caught  the 
spirit  and  frolicked  with  him,  a  stranger  would  have 
been  justified  in  taking  him  for  a  mere  college  boy, 
gloating  over  a  successful  prank. 

At  last  he  sank  on  the  bench  and  gave  a  long  con- 
tented sigh.  The  bulldog  leaped  to  the  seat  beside  him 
and  endeavored  to  lick  his  chin.  "Mulligan,  old  sport," 
he  said,  throwing  an  arm  about  the  dog,  "I  don't  blame 
you  for  getting  cross.  I'd  be  fairly  raving  if  I  were 
chained  up  with  all  this  glorious  game  right  at  my 
•very  own  door.  The  young  one  certainly  has  loosened 
the  lock  on  my  heart,  Mulligan;  but  the  old  one 
strained  all  my  intercostal  muscles.  If  I  had  started 
to  chuckle  while  she  was  yet  with  us,  I  should  have 
died  in  a  convulsion.  My  Vulgarity  is  too  complete 
for  the  simplicity  of  ignorance,  wherefore  it  must  be 
laid  to  my  despicable  position' — and  she  gave  me  a 


68  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

tip!  Oh,  Mulligan,  after  all,  life  is  sometimes  wortH 
the  candle. 

"Well,  we  must  hie  home  and  tog  up  for  the  even- 
ing feed.  No  knowing  what  may  happen  if  the  earnest 
Ivan  and  my  respected  uncle  lock  horns.  Come,  fat- 
head, I  can  beat  you  to  the  house." 

Leaping,  dodging,  and  making  joyously  incoherent 
noises,  the  scion  of  the  house  of  Bannington  and  the 
bulldog  that  no  longer  suffered  from  ennui,  tore  along 
the  path  which  led  to  the  house,  and  the  evening  shad- 
ows gathered  in  the  fifteen  private  acres  of  Bannington 
Park. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE   MACHINE   SKIDS 

AS  the  three  friends  left  Dick  and  returned  to  the 
*•*•  house,  they  were  forced  to  walk  single  file.  Emil 
walked  in  front  and  lectured  learnedly  on  the  nerves. 
As  he  progressed  in  distance,  he  also  enlarged  on  his 
subject.  In  a  short  time  he  had  deserted  the  merely 
physical  attributes  of  the  nerves,  and  dwelt  lovingly 
on  the  effect  which  social  evolution  had  had  on  them ; 
pointing  out  that  the  primitive  man,  who  knew  not  that 
he  had  nerves,  was  the  only  man  who  found  undiluted 
pleasure  in  them,  showing  that  even  the  moderate  de- 
velopment from  savagery  to  barbarism  had  started 
the  nerves  to  jangling,  while  civilization  had  goaded 
them  to  such  a  state  of  supersensitiveness  that  simple 
conservatism  required  one  to  look  on  insanity  as  a 
natural  and  useful  safety-valve. 

Ivan,  who  walked  next,  glanced  from  time  to  time 
at  the  broad  shoulders  of  the  plump  Emil,  and  mar- 
veled that  civilized  nerves  should  under  any  circum- 
stances select  such  an  apparently  phlegmatic  environ- 
ment. But  Ivan's  mind  was  busy  on  other  things. 
He  had  given  the  servants,  in  Dick's  name  and  at 
Dick's  request,  a  dozen  or  so  pamphlets,  and  he  was 
speculating  on  the  possible  crop  which  this  small 
sowing  might  yield.  Ivan  did  not  have  a  mission  in 

69 


70  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

life;  a  mission  in  life  had  him,  and  the  conditions  are 
distinctly  different.  At  the  first  intersection  Lorrain 
turned  from  the  path  they  were  following  and  started 
off  at  a  tangent  with  a  sigh  of  relief. 

"The  nerves  in  the  human  body  correspond  to  the 
telegraph  and  telephone  in  the  social  body,"  said  Emil, 
threatening  Ivan  with  upraised  finger  as  they  seated 
themselves  in  the  library.  "It  is  possible  to  send  so 
high  a  voltage  over  a  wire  that  it  will  fuse.  Now  in 
the  body — " 

"What  do  you  think  is  the  reason  that  house-serv- 
ants are  so  hard  to  convince  ?"  interrupted  Ivan  reflec- 
tively. "The  servants  in  this  household  seem  to  be 
intelligent,  and  they  accepted  the  pamphlets  I  gave 
them,  but  as  a  class,  domestic  servants  are  only  to  be 
won  with  much  effort." 

"Are  they  ill-fed?"  demanded  Emil  sternly.  "Are 
they  unexpectedly  thrown  out  of  employment?  Do 
they  live  in  wretched  slums  and  see  their  children  out 
of  garbage  pails  eat?  No,  they,  on  the  contrary,  amidst 
luxury  live,  and  they,  in  a  measure,  are  parasites.  The 
wild  wolf  is  often  hungry,  but  he  would  sooner  starve 
to  death  than  give  up  his  freedom.  Could  you  imagine 
a  flea  braving  famine  and  pestilence  his  independence 
to  gain.  Whenever  I  wish  accurate  information  to 
gain,  I  to  myself  some  animal  who  is  like  some  man, 
picture,  and  then  I  see  how  it  is  exactly.  Through 
evolution,  man — " 

"It  is  a  noble  thing  for  Dick  to  oppose  his  uncle's 
will,"  murmured  Ivan  thoughtfully.  "I  wonder  how 
it  will  turn  out." 


THE    MACHINE   SKIDS  71 

"Dick  is  beyond  accurate  solution,"  replied  Emil. 
"He  has  never  been  hungry,  he  has  never  seen  his 
ideals  trampled  underfoot  while  he  had  to  stand  by  and 
pretend  to  smile.  Never  yet  has  he  been  tried  by  the 
fierceness  of  real  fire.  With  curiosity  his  outcome  I 
await." 

"He  is  with  the  movement,  heart  and  soul,"  said 
Ivan  staunchly. 

"Bah,"  returned  Emil,  waving  his  hand.  "A  scien- 
tific socialist  he  is  not.  It  is  with  him  a  pastime,  a 
game.  Much  joy  a  struggle,  a  combat,  gives  him.  If 
it  were  to  be  a  bloody  revolution,  yes ;  but  to  see  with 
clearness  and  yet  with  patience  to  wait,  ah,  who  can 
tell  ?  He  is  not  a  reality  socialist." 

"He  has  the  heart  of  a  socialist,"  said  Ivan  with 
fervor. 

"Socialism  is  not  of  the  heart,"  replied  Emil  scorn- 
fully. "Socialism  is  cold  and  unflinching  and  just. 
Socialism  is  of  the  head." 

"Yes,  but  the  heart  has  reasons,  which  the  reason 
does  not  know,"  answered  Ivan  with  feeling. 

"Pascal,"  grunted  Emil.  As  a  rule  Emil  did  not 
refer  to  authorities.  If  one  of  his  associates  was 
deluded  into  thinking  that  he  had  formulated  an 
original  package  for  a  thought,  he  usually  contented 
himself  with  repeating  the  actual  author  mentally. 
When  he  spoke  the  name  aloud  it  was  a  sign  that  the 
remark  had  irritated  him.  "You,  yourself,  a  socialism 
have,  which  is  more  of  religion  than  of  science,"  he 
said.  "You  still  believe  that  the  world  can  be  made 
right  by  one  heart  at  a  time  converting,  while  I — " 


72  THE   STEERING   WHEEL 

At  this  moment  Lorrain  entered.  "It  seems  that 
our  friend,  Dick,  is  going  to  have  other  affairs  in  his 
own  country  than  helping  along  the  revolution.  Well, 
the  girl  was  a  beauty  and  I  admire  his  taste." 

"She  is  probably  a  worker  in  the  cause,"  said  Ivan 
reverently. 

"Such  a  worker  as  that  would  be  good  for  any 
cause,"  laughed  Lorrain. 

"There  are  to-day,"  said  Emil  placidly,  "over  fifteen 
million  women  who  have  at  heart  the  great,  peaceful 
revolution.  Why,  in  Russia  alone — " 

"Never  mind  Russia,  Emil,"  scoffed  Lorrain.  "No 
one  in  Russia  is  ever  peaceful." 

"The  people  of  Russia  are  as  peaceful  as  any  peo- 
ple," defended  Ivan.  "You  also  in  France  had  a 
Reign  of  Terror." 

"Very  true,"  granted  Lorrain  condescendingly,  "but 
we  had  it  as  an  acute  attack,  only,  and  recovered ;  while 
you  have  it  chronically." 

"Nevertheless,"  vouchsafed  Emil,  "the  loss  of  life 
during  the  Reign  of  Terror  was — " 

"Emil,  stop,"  shouted  Lorrain  who  had  no  weapon 
with  which  to  fight  the  stolid  German.  "Do  you  real- 
ize that  it  is  almost  a  reign  of  terror  to  live  with  you? 
One  can  not  converse  on  any  subject  without  having 
you  pour  a  flood  of  figures  on  him.  I  wonder  where 
all  the  servants  are?" 

"They  are  intelligent  servants,"  answered  Ivan.  "I 
have  talked  with  them  and  given  them  pamphlets.  I 
think  they  will  join  the  cause." 

"If  you  are  not  circumspect,  Uncle  Richard  will  tell 


THE    MACHINE    SKIDS  73 

you  to  join  those  who  have  died  in  their  sins,"  laughed 
Lorrain.  "Let  us  play  a  game  of  billiards;  there  is 
a  good  table  on  the  third  floor." 

"No,"  replied  Ivan,  "I  have  no  time  to  waste  on  a 
mere  game  when  the  world  is  crying  out  for  me  to 
save  it." 

"You  have  a  wondrous  capacity  for  enjoyment, 
Ivan,"  said  Lorrain  satirically.  "Well,  you  go  and 
save  as  much  of  the  world  as  you  can ;  but  you'll  take 
a  cue,  won't  you,  Emil  ?" 

"If  one  is  to  keep  at  one's  best,  it  is  essential  the 
well-rounded  life  to  live,"  replied  Emil.  "In  billiards 
one  has  exercise  for  the  body  and  the  mind;  while  if 
the  game  is  close,  the  emotions  also  are  into  play 
brought.  I  shall  be  glad  to  take  a  cue." 

"That's  right,"  said  Lorrain,  taking  his  friend's 
arm  and  leading  him  to  the  stairway. 

"Are  you  aware,"  said  Emil,  as  his  bosom  began  to 
expand  with  the  joy  of  competitive  pastime,  "that  in 
the  average  game  of  billiards  the  cue-ball  a  distance 
of  two  and  one-third  kilometers  travels ;  while  in  the 
game  played  by  experts,  the  ball  only — " 

Ivan  rose  and  strolled  moodily  out  to  the  barn. 
Ivan  often  doubted  that  knowledge  was  power.  Some- 
times it  seemed  to  him  that  it  was  merely  a  locomotive 
still  unfinished  in  the  shops. 

Shortly  after  this  the  head  of  the  house  returned 
and  rang  the  front  door-bell.  He  greatly  enjoyed 
having  the  butler  open  the  front  door  and  bow  respect- 
fully as  he  entered.  It  seemed  to  him  that  his  busi- 
ness cares  were  removed  from  his  shoulders  when  the 


74  THE   STEERING   WHEEL 

butler  opened  the  door,  and  for  years  it  had  been 
opened  at  the  first  touch  of  the  electric  button.  This 
time  there  was  no  response. 

It  had  been  a  hard  day  and  Bannington  had  been 
hoping  that  he  would  find  his  nephew  in  a  more  compli- 
ant mood  than  he  had  left  him.  He  did  not  intend  to 
talk  business  with  him,  however ;  he  was  determined  to 
bury  his  own  troubles  and  bring  the  boy  out,  lead 
him  into  talking  of  his  trip  and  then  work  gradually 
up  to  a  discussion  of  practical  things  at  home  and 
abroad.  Richard  Bannington  lived  in  a  strictly  prac- 
tical world,  or,  which  is  much  the  same  thing,  he  was 
convinced  that  he  did.  There  was  nothing  outwardly 
practical  in  a  man  with  a  latch-key  in  his  pocket  stand- 
ing on  his  own  door-step  and  punching  savagely  at 
an  electric  button,  but  this  he  continued  to  do  for 
several  minutes  while  his  anger  took  audible  and 
slightly  profane  expression. 

Finally  he  opened  the  door  with  his  key  and  after 
entering,  slammed  it  with  a  bang.  He  strode  down  the 
hall  and  into  the  library.  It  was  empty  and  he  crossed 
and  entered  the  drawing-room.  There  he  saw  the 
maid  sitting  in  the  most  comfortable  chair  and  read- 
ing a  pamphlet.  For  a  moment  Bannington  stood  still 
in  a  daze.  He  had  never  before  doubted  that  his 
establishment  was  run  on  systematic  and  practical 
lines.  Dick  had  severely  criticized  its  looseness  during 
his  last  vacation ;  but  to  the  elder  man,  it  moved  with 
mechanical  precision,  and  he  could  scarcely  believe 
his  eyes. 

Gladys  had  only  read  three  pages  of  the  pamphlet 


THE   MACHINE    SKIDS  75 

which  she  had  selected  before  she  was  convinced  that 
she  favored  the  revolution  and  that  it  loomed  large 
on  the  immediate  horizon.  As  she  was  fond  of  excite- 
ment, she  at  once  decided  that  it  was  her  duty  to  lend 
the  movement  her  aid,  and  that  without  delay.  The 
other  servants  were  slower,  the  men  being  opposed  to 
any  active  demonstrations  at  this  time;  but  the  cook 
was  still  smarting  from  Dick's  reprimand  and  she 
stood  with  the  maid.  The  men  were  shamed  into 
joining  the  rebellion  by  Gladys  agreeing  to  take  her 
post  in  the  front  of  the  house  and  meeting  the  first 
attack.  Thus,  the  domestic  staff  was  practically  on 
strike. 

Gladys'  heart  was  beating  rapidly  when  Bannington 
paused  in  consternation  at  the  drawing-room  door. 
She  had  gone  over  her  speech  of  defiance,  she  knew 
that  she  was  merely  carrying  into  practice  the  theories 
which  the  son  of  the  house  advocated;  but  when  the 
vital  moment  arrived  the  situation  assumed  entirely 
new  proportions.  She  kept  repeating  to  herself :  "I  have 
nothing  to  lose  but  my  chains,  I  have  nothing  to  lose 
but  my  chains;"  but  just  at  this  time  the  chains  them- 
selves became  unexpectedly  attractive,  and  appeared 
to  be  her  normal  support  in  a  position  of  comparative 
ease  and  comfort.  Still,  she  always  wanted  to  know 
how  things  were  going  to  turn  out,  so  she  kept  her 
eyes  on  the  pamphlet  and  hoped  that  her  voice  would 
not  break  when  she  proceeded  to  maintain  her  inalien- 
able rights. 

"Where  is  that  fool  butler?"  demanded  Bannington, 
stamping  his  foot.    The  maid  gave  a  little  bounce  but 


76  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

did  not  raise  her  eyes.  "I  mean  you — where  is  that 
fool  butler?" 

The  maid  raised  her  eyes  slowly  and  a  thrill  of 
pride  shot  through  her  as  she  answered  with  outward 
calm:  "I  do  not  know  any  fool  butler." 

"You  don't,  huh  ?"  Bannington  was  still  too  shocked 
to  appreciate  the  conditions.  "Well,  there  was  a  per- 
son answering  to  that  description  by  the  name  of  Hig- 
gins,  still  in  my  employ  when  I  left  this  morning. 
Where  is  he?"  ' 

"I  last  saw  Mr.  Higgins  in  the  dining-room  a  half- 
hour  ago,"  replied  Gladys  with  quiet  dignity. 

Bannington  emitted  a  growling  snort.  "What  was  he 
doing?  Stand  up  when  I  come  in,  and  when  you  do 
sit  down,  find  some  other  place.  LWhat  are  you  read- 
ing? Give  it  to  me!" 

The  maid  tried  with  all  her  strength  to  remain 
seated;  she  found  it  impossible.  Something  within 
her  raised  her  to  her  feet  and  made  her  take  a  step 
toward  her  employer. 

"Where  did  you  get  it?"  he  asked  as  he  jerked  the 
pamphlet  from  her  hand. 

"It  was  given  to  me  by  Mr.  Dick,  sir." 

Bannington  turned  the  book  over  savagely  and  read 
its  title  aloud:  "The  Uncontr avertible  Land-title 
Theory.  Have  you  any  land-titles  which  are  bother- 
ing you?" 

"No,  sir." 

"Then  why  the  devil  do  you  bother  the  land-titles? 
Now,  you've  gone  just  as  far  on  this  road  as  it's 
healthy.  Here — tear  this  thing  up  and  throw  it  in 


THE    MACHINE    SKIDS  77 

the  scrap  basket;  and  send  that  fool  butler  to  me  at 
once." 

The  maid  tore  the  pamphlet  with  malicious  resent- 
ment and  hastened  from  the  room;  while  Bannington 
doubled  up  his  fists  and  made  violent  gestures.  "This 
is  enough  to  give  a  man  paresis!"  he  exclaimed  sav- 
agely. "Here  I  have  been  working  my  head  off  try- 
ing to  keep  the  Bannington  plant  in  the  lead,  longing 
for  the  time  to  come  when  that  young  cub  could 
buckle  to  and  help  me ;  and  now  he  comes  back  with  a 
trio  of  educated  tramps  and  a  cart-load  of  fool  theories 
and  begins  work  by  distributing  anarchist  tracts  to 
my  servants.  I  suppose  I'll  have  to  fire  the  lot  of 
them  just  as  I've  got  them  so  they  suit  me ;  but  I  can't 
very  well  fire  him.  Oh,  hang  the  luck,  anyway !" 

He  whirled  about  as  he  finished  and  came  face  to 
face  with  the  butler  who  had  entered  the  room  with 
evident  reluctance.  Bannington  stood  and  glared  at  him 
and  the  butler  swallowed  repeatedly  and  at  each  swal- 
low looked  a  shade  more  like  an  embarrassed  white 
rabbit. 

After  staring  at  him  until  Higgins  felt  the  cold 
sweat  breaking  out  on  his  forehead,  Bannington  sur- 
prised him  by  asking  in  a  very  mild  tone :  "What  is 
that  in  your  hand,  Higgins?" 

The  mild  tone  suggested  a  hidden  menace  and  was 
far  more  sinister  than  the  harsh  demand,  against  which 
Higgins  had  braced  himself,  would  have  been.  "This 
is  a  book,  sir,  which  Mr.  Dick  requested  me  to  read," 
he  answered  apologetically. 

"A  book,  is  it?"  asked  that  young  man's  uncle  with 


78  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

gentle  interest,  although  flames  seemed  to  shoot  from 
his  eyes.  "What  is  the  title  of  the  book,  Higgins  ?" 

"U — U — Universal  Brotherhood,  or  the  Law  of 
'Equal  Inheritance,  sir,"  replied  the  butler  desperately. 

"Have  you  lost  any  brothers,  Higgins?"  inquired 
Bannington  solicitously. 

"N— no,  sir." 

"I  congratulate  you.  Have  you  inherited  any- 
thing?" 

"No,  sir — but  this  book  says  that  I  am  entitled  to 
something,  just  because  I'm  a  man." 

"You're  not  a  man,  Higgins,"  said  Bannington,  as 
one  who  kindly  imparted  a  welcome  fact.  "You're  an 
imbecile.  Have  you  read  that  stuff?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"What  does  it  say?" 

"Why,  it  says  that  no  man  is  entitled  to  any  more 
than  he  can  use  himself." 

"Well,  have  you  any  more  than  you  can  use  yourself, 
Higgins?" 

"No,  sir." 

"Then,  what  the  devil  are  you  worrying  about? 
What  else  does  it  say?" 

"It  says  that  the  men  of  this  generation  should  be 
willing  to  endure  hardships  in  order  to  bring  about 
perfect  conditions  for  the  next  generation." 

"Oh,  I  see,"  said  Bannington.  "Well,  aren't  you  en- 
during all  the  hardships  you  want?" 

"Yes,  sir,  of  course,  sir;  but  it  means  that  we  should 
be  willing  to  fight  for  our  rights." 


THE    MACHINE    SKIDS  79 

"Fight!  Fight  for  your  rights?  When  do  you 
expect  to  begin  ?" 

"I  don't  think  it  actually  means  to  fight,  but  to  learn 
how  to  vote." 

"Well,  if  present  conditions  continue  until  you  learn 
how  to  vote,  that  is  plenty  for  me."  Bannington's  voice 
had  a  shade  more  grimness  this  time,  and  he  snapped 
out  the  next  question :  "Have  you  been  sitting  down 
where  you  had  no  right  to?" 

"Only  for  a  moment,  sir,"  answered  Higgins,  back- 
ing a  step.  "This  book  says  that  no  man  is  entitled 
to  any  more  property  than  he  can  use  himself,  and 
as  you  were  not  using  that  big — " 

"And  I  am  not  using  this  book,  either!"  exclaimed 
Bannington,  picking  up  a  copy  of  poems  which  lay  on 
the  center-table.  Higgins  dodged  and  the  book  flew 
over  his  head.  "And  I  am  not  using  my  cane,  either," 
he  continued  ferociously,  but  Higgins  was  already 
in  full  retreat  toward  the  dining-room. 

"Oh,  this  is  glorious !"  said  Bannington,  wiping  his 
brow.  His  voice  was  still  bitter,  but  there  was  a 
twinkle  in  his  eyes.  He  was  supposed  to  be  a  man  with 
only  one  trait,  only  one  emotion,  only  one  purpose ;  but 
the  truth  was,  that  one  would  have  to  drill  through  a 
great  many  strata  before  reaching  the  bedrock  of 
old  Bannington  himself. 

"How  glad  I  am  that  my  beloved  nephew  has  re- 
ceived an  education !"  he  continued  satirically.  "How 
very  cheerfully  I  shall  welcome  that  university  com- 
mittee which  has  an  appointment  with  me  to-morrow ! 


80  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

They  will  not  receive  a  check,  merely — they  will  re- 
ceive a  full  stop." 

He  walked  over  to  the  pier  glass  and  surveyed  him- 
self in  silence.  The  reflection  showed  a  man  above 
medium  height,  of  massive  build,  with  the  eyes  of  an 
eagle  flashing  out  from  beneath  heavy,  overhanging 
eyebrows,  a  wide  mouth  and  a  heavy  chin.  Bannington 
surveyed  his  image  seriously  for  several  seconds,  and 
then  a  grin  stole  across  his  grim  features  and  he 
clenched  his  fists  and  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"I  suppose,"  he  said  to  his  reflection,  "that  there  is 
no  possible  way  to  avoid  it — once  a  fighting  man,  al- 
ways a  fighting  man — and  there's  a  blamed  good  fight 
in  me  yet." 

A  queer,  wistful  expression  next  came  to  his  eyes, 
and  as  he  continued  to  look  into  the  mirror,  his 
mouth  relaxed  and  he  became  even  a  little  tender. 
"And  the  boy  has  fighting  blood,  too,"  he  said.  "He's 
a  Bannington,  he's  a  Bannington  to  the  core,  and  I 
want  him  to  fight  with  me."  His  lips  hardened  once 
more  and  his  eyes  took  on  dogged  determination. 
"He  has  to  fight  with  me." 

Bannington  turned  and  started  toward  the  hall,  but 
before  he  reached  the  door  Claude  Lorrain,  the  count 
who  had  thrown  aside  his  patrimony,  sauntered 
through  it,  arrayed  in  perfectly  fitting  evening  clothes. 
The  two  men  looked  each  other  steadily  in  the  eyes. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

X 

UNCLE  RICHARD  PICKS  THE  PATH 

IT  was  seldom,  indeed,  that  Claude  Lorrain  was 
flustered  and  although  he  perceived  that  Mr.  Ban- 
nington  was  still  agitated  over  some  recent  occurrence, 
he  displayed  no  embarrassment.  "Good  evening,  Mr. 
Bannington,"  he  said  easily.  "You  seem  warm." 

"I  am  warm,"  snapped  Mr.  Bannington,  who  never 
permitted  pleasant  manners  to  mollify  him  before  he 
had  enjoyed  to  the  full  the  luxury  of  being  thoroughly 
aroused.  "Where  is  my  nephew  ?" 

"I  have  not  seen  him  for  some  time.  He  took  his 
dog  for  a  walk." 

"No  wonder  they  get  along  well  together.  They 
take  the  same  practical  view  of  life.  Are  you  an 
anarchist,  too?" 

"Oh,  my  dear  Mr.  Bannington!"  laughed  Lorrain, 
as  if  replying  to  a  pleasantry.  "Of  course  I  take  a 
deep  interest  in  the  modern  trend,  but  I  trust  I  am 
not  unreasonable." 

"Then  you  have  a  marked  advantage  over  my 
nephew.  All  his  life  he  has  been  exercising  and  devel- 
oping and  training  every  part  of  his  make-up  except 
his  reason.  He's  about  as  stable  and  trustworthy  as 
a  toy  balloon." 

"Oh,  no,  not  so  bad  as  that ;  although  I  must  admit 

81 


82  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

that  at  times  his  enthusiasm  impels  him  to  yield  too 
hastily  to  the  natural  instincts  of  his  warm  heart." 

Bannington  drew  down  the  corners  of  his  mouth 
and  looked  at  his  guest  critically.  "Yes,  I  can  easily 
believe  you,"  he  said  dryly.  "How  did  he  happen  to 
meet  you  and  your  friends  ?" 

"We  met  in  Paris.  Our  mutual  interest  in  modern 
sociology  was  the  magnet  which  drew  us  together." 

At  this  juncture  Emil  and  Ivan  entered.  They  did 
not  wear  evening  dress:  Emil  continued  to  wear  the 
same  impossible  brown  suit,  covered  with  tobacco 
ashes  and  with  the  pockets  bulging  with  newspaper 
clippings  and  government  reports.  His  bristly  hair 
had  been  brushed  to  its  most  aggressive  angle,  his 
broad-toed  shoes  had  been  polished,  but  he  had  made 
no  other  preparations  for  dinner.  Ivan's  dark  hair 
had  been  carefully  parted  in  the  middle  and  his  face 
bore  the  peculiar  sheen  which  a  strenuous  use  of  soap 
imparts,  but  he  also  wore  the  same  clothes  in  which 
he  had  arrived.  The  suit  was  a  dingy  black,  the  coat 
too  long  in  the  body  and  too  short  in  the  sleeves,  the 
trousers  too  tight,  but  so  long  that  they  wrinkled 
grotesquely. 

Bannington  possessed  a  dress-suit  which  he  had 
owned  twenty  years  and  worn  half  that  many  times  but 
it  was  one  of  his  inconsistencies  to  like  to  have  Dick 
dress  for  dinner.  He  gave  the  two  men  a  nod  and 
asked  Lorrain:  "And  do  you  believe  that  all  the 
wealth  should  be  divided  equally?" 

"Heavens,  no!"  replied  Lorrain.  "I  am  perfectly 
aware  that  after  we  become  fully  enlightened,  each 


UNCLE   PICKS   THE   PATH  83 

year's  production  will  be  divided  equally;  but  the 
change  from  one  system  to  another  must,  perforce,  be 
long  and  tedious.  I  am  not  one  of  those  who  think 
that  all  that  is  necessary  to  turn  this  crude  old  world 
into  a  blooming  paradise  is  to  hand  its  control  over  to 
the  infallible  guidance  of  the  inspired  labor  leaders." 

"Yes,  but  in  time  it  will  be  turned  over  to  them," 
said  Ivan  fervently.  Lorrain's  voice  was  even  and 
musical.  He  always  spoke  slowly  enough  to  give 
each  word  its  proper  terminal,  which  served  to  add  to 
his  cynical  attitude.  Ivan's  voice  was  high-pitched  and 
inclined  to  vibrate  with  passion.  The  effect  was  not 
artistic.  "It  will  be  turned  over  to  them,"  he  repeated. 
"It  is  inevitable — past  history  indicates  it,  present  con- 
ditions remove  all  possibility  for  doubt,  and  every 
opening  vista  of  the  future  discloses  it  in  all  its  radiant 
splendor.  There  is  no  use — " 

"You're  the  one,"  interrupted  Bannington,  who  had 
been  studying  him  closely.  "You're  the  very  one. 
You're  the  source  of  all  this  natural-gas  eloquence 
which  burst  forth  from  my  fool  nephew  this  morning. 
'Every  opening  vista  of  the  future  discloses  it  in  all  its 
radiant  splendor.'  Oh,  that  is  Dick,  all  right — that 
is  exactly  the  kind  of  trail  that  he  is  trying  to  leave. 
'Radiant  splendor!'  Yes,  Dick's  enthusiasm  would 
hand  that  out  and  then  hug  itself  for  two  hours.  Well, 
you  take  it  from  me  that  Dick  is  going  into  the  future 
as  a  man  steps  out  of  a  second  story  window  and  lights 
on  the  top  of  his  head.  He'll  see  all  the  radiant  splen- 
dor he  can  stand — oh,  yes,  he'll  see  stars  enough  to 
furnish  him  with  open  vistas  for  the  rest  of  time." 


84  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

"It  is  easy  enough  for  a  man  to  talk  satire,"  said 
Emil,  holding  up  a  pudgy  finger.  Emil's  voice  was 
guttural  and  heavy,  he  rolled  his  r's  and  interchanged 
his  t's  and  d's  to  a  large  degree ;  but  his  facial  expres- 
sions drew  all  attention  from  his  articulation.  The 
pupils  of  his  eyes  were  small  and  he  had  the  power  of 
opening  his  lids  until  the  pupils  appeared  to  be  little 
globes  floating  in  a  milky  sky.  He  pursed  up  his  lids, 
he  twisted  his  head  from  side  to  side,  and  each  time 
that  he  made  what  he  conceded  to  be  a  point,  he  would 
seek  to  illustrate  it  and  clench  it  by  an  appropriate 
facial  expression.  He  also  used  gestures  freely,  es- 
pecially that  of  prodding  at  his  listener's  face  with  his 
forefinger,  as  though  he  would  calk  home  his  argu- 
ments after  the  manner  of  a  ship's  carpenter. 

"Satire,"  he  continued  candidly,  "is  the  makeshift 
of  the  man  who  has  been  successful  in  one  direction, 
but  who  has  not  broadened  himself  by  a  complete 
course  of  general  study.  Now  carefully  the  conditions 
in  your  own  country  weigh.  The  two  old  parties  for- 
merly represented  fixed  principles  opposed  to  each 
other  diametrically.  Now,  to-day,  the  principles  are 
like  unto  the  counters  in  a  store,  while  the  real  wares 
of  the  parties  are  cunningly  designed  doctrines,  thrown 
on  the  counters  like  holiday  novelties,  and  made  simply 
votes  to  catch — and  they  are  much  alike — and  they  are 
all  diluted  imitations  of  socialism.  Take,  too,  the 
vote.  In  eighteen  seventy-two  the  population  of  the 
United  States  was  thirty-nine  million,  three  hundred 
seventy-four  thousand,  the  Republican  vote  was  three 
million,  five  hundred — " 


UNCLE   PICKS   THE   PATH  85 

"What  does  all  this  amount  to,  anyway?"  broke  in 
Bannington  bruskly.  He  was  too  much  an  American  to 
resist  the  fascination  of  argument.  "Governments  are 
no  longer  political,  they  are  commercial.  Political 
orations,  like  graduation  essays,  are  beautiful;  but 
they  are  not  business.  You  seem  to  possess  some 
knowledge  without  having  the  judgment  to  use  it.  We 
find  it  advisable  to  retain  the  forms  of  political  govern- 
ment in  order  to  give  the  masses  a  sort  of  show — they 
like  a  show,  you  know — and  we  make  them  believe  that 
the  vote  is  a  wonderful  thing.  It  attracts  their  atten- 
tion and  tickles  their  conceit ;  but  you  must  not  think 
that  we  should  be  fools  enough  to  hand  over  the  really 
important  affairs  of  this  country  to  a  lot  of  incompe- 
tents, elected  by  the  whims  and  prejudices  of  unregu- 
lated ignorance.  Not  on  your  life!  What  we  need  is 
good,  practical,  reliable,  business  government;  and — " 

"What  we  need  even  more  than  this  is  some  decent 
servants  in  this  household !"  exclaimed  Dick,  who  had 
hastily  entered  in  time  to  hear  his  uncle's  closing  re- 
mark. "It  took  me  half  an  hour  to  get  enough  warm 
water  to  shave  with,  and  the  way  Mulligan  has  been 
abused  while  I  was  away  is  nothing  short  of  a  crime." 

"Yes,"  replied  Bannington,  who  noted  that  his 
nephew  was  not  in  evening  dress,  "and  you  come  back 
more  idiotic  than  ever,  and  the  very  first  day  you  give 
them  enough  fairy  tales  to  scramble  what  little  brains 
they  already  had.  Confound  you,  I  have  spent  consid- 
erable time  making  these  servants  over  to  suit  myself, 
and  I  wish  that  you — " 

"Oh,  that's  all  right,"  said  Dick  reassuringly.   "I're 


86  THE   STEERING   WHEEL 

fixed  all  that.  I've  had  a  little  talk  with  them  and 
they  see  now  that  it  is  wrong  to  apply  great  sociolog- 
ical truths  in  a  narrow,  domestic  manner — I  had  to 
shake  Higgins  a  little.  He's  as  literal  as  a  time-table. 
The  cook  had  decided  to  dispense  with  dinner  and  give 
a  plain,  wholesome  supper,  but  I  have  arranged  all 
that.  Dinner  will  probably  be  a  little  late,  but  that 
will  give  us  a  chance  to  rub  up  our  acquaintance  a 
little,  Uncle  mine." 

Richard  Bannington  could  not  resist  the  boy.  He 
kept  his  eyes  on  him  as  he  spoke,  and  wThen  he  had 
finished,  said:  "Yes,  Dick,  I  do  want  to  have  a  talk 
with  you.  I  wonder  if — " 

"Surest  thing  in  the  world,"  replied  Dick,  catching 
his  uncle's  meaning.  "Boys,  you  trot  along  up  to  the 
billiard-hall — or  you  can  stay  here  and  we  shall." 

"Certainly,"  answered  Lorrain.  "We  can  perfectly 
understand  your  desire  to  be  alone;  au  revoir" 

As  soon  as  the  guests  had  left  the  room  Bannington 
put  his  hand  on  Dick's  shoulder  and  said  in  a  friendly, 
quizzical  tone:  "Dick,  you  always  were  an  odd  little 
chap.  You  always  did  object  to  law;  but  after 
all,  you  generally  managed  to  come  around  and  do  the 
right  thing  in  your  own  fashion.  How  long  is  it  going 
to  take  for  this  nonsense  to  wear  off?" 

"This  is  not  nonsense,  Uncle,"  answered  Dick 
soberly,  "and  it  never  will  wear  off.  I  am  enlisted  in 
the  cause  of  suffering  humanity — " 

"Now  cut  that  out  with  me !  I  have  had  my  fill  of 
the  gorgeous  vistas  of  the  radiant  future,  and  all  that 
rot.  They  are  your  guests,  Dick,  but  if  they  should 


UNCLE    PICKS   THE   PATH  87 

attempt  to  escape,  I  should  not  use  force  to  detain 
them.  Dick,  the  Bannington  plant  is  in  a  hard  way. 
Are  you  going  to  pitch  in  and  help ;  or  are  you  going 
to  let  it  go?" 

"I  don't  like  to  seem  ungrateful,"  answered  Dick 
slowly  and  seriously,  "but  I  feel  that  I  must  do  my  best 
to  save  the  common  people." 

"Well,  save  them — save  all  you  want  of  them," 
snapped  the  old  man.  "Do  you  think  that  I  want  to 
do  away  with  them  ?  Do  you  think  that  I  do  not  know 
that  they  are  just  as  necessary  as  any  other  raw  mate- 
rial? That  is  the  trouble  with  you  open-mouthed  re- 
formers ;  you  haven't  business  sense  enough  to  see  that 
it  is  economical  to  keep  the  workman  at  his  best — and 
a  successful  manufacturer  never  overlooks  economy." 
Richard  paused  and  looked  sharply  at  his  nephew 
for  a  moment  before  continuing  sarcastically,  "When 
a  workman  is  so  feeble  from  lack  of  nourishment, 
Dick,  that  he  can  barely  totter  around,  he  don't  turn 
out  enough  stuff,  and  that's  the  chief  end  of  industry. 
To  be  perfectly  frank  with  you,  not  one  of  our  work- 
men has  starved  to  death  for  a  great  number  of 
years." 

"Still,  a  man  has  other  needs — "  began  Dick,  but 
his  uncle  stopped  him  with  a  gesture  of  disgust. 

"Oh,  Dick,  kindly  spare  me!"  he  said.  "I  know  all 
that.  And  I  have  other  needs  and  even  you  have  other 
needs ;  but  I'll  tell  you  once  and  for  all,  that  the  needs 
of  my  business — the  old  Bannington  Steel  Plant — 
come  before  everything  else  in  the  world  with  me,  and 
I'm  willing  to  fight  for  it" 


88  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

"What  is  wrong  with  it?"  asked  Dick  with  increas- 
ing gravity. 

"Burton,"  growled  the  old  man,  "Burton  is  wrong 
with  it.  Twice  I've  had  him  whipped,  clear  beaten, 
down  and  out,  and  both  times  some  fool  relation  died 
and  left  him  enough  to  come  back  at  me.  He  is  all 
business,  Dick,  I'll  say  that  for  him.  When  he  wants 
a  good  man  he  is  willing  to  pay  for  him — advertiser, 
salesman,  judge  or  legislator — if  he  wants  him  he  pays 
the  price,  and  it's  tough  competition.  Talk  about  war 
being  hell!  Why,  it's  a  game  of  ball  beside  business! 
You  fix  for  a  battle;  when  that  is  fought  you  know 
where  you  are,  but  in  business  you  never  know  where 
you  are.  Day  and  night,  night  and  day,  you  have  to 
watch  it,  v/atch  it,  watch  it;  and  Dick,  I'm  getting  old." 

Dick  remained  silent  while  his  eyes  followed  the 
line  of  molding  which  ran  below  the  ceiling.  It  was 
apparent  that  he  was  thinking  deeply,  and  that  his 
uncle's  words  were  making  a  strong  impression. 

"You  half-baked  theorists  talk  about  the  master- 
class as  though  it  were  some  giant  with  a  club  in  his 
right  hand,  and  a  horn  of  plenty  in  his  left;  but  that's 
not  the  way  it  works  out.  Some  of  our  interests  are 
mutual,  but  we're  individualists,  and  each  little  indi- 
vidual is  putting  up  his  own  little  individual  fight. 
You're  big  enough  and  strong  enough  to  put  up  a 
good  fight,  my  boy.  We  need  all  the  Bannington 
blood  to  protect  the  Bannington  plant.  You're  not 
going  back  on  your  blood,  are  you,  Dick  ?" 

The  boy's  eyes  fell  to  the  carpet,  and  he  made  no 
reply.  The  night  sounds  drifted  in  from  the  park, 


UNCLE    PICKS   THE   PATH  89 

chirp  and  twitter  and  buzz;  and  they  brought  with 
them  the  twilight  mixture  of  loneliness  and  home-feel- 
ing. The  evening  dews  loosed  the  evening  scents  and 
they  floated  in  and  aroused  the  old  memories.  Scenes 
of  carnage  and  violence  do  not  mark  the  real  struggles ; 
all  the  battles  of  life  take  place  within  the  human  soul 
—and  still  the  boy's  eyes  rested  on  the  carpet,  and 
still  he  sat  in  silence. 


CHAPTER  IX 

DICK   VETOES   THE   CHOICE 

T)  ANNINGTON  seated  himself  and  Dick  rose  and 
-•-'  began  to  pace  to  and  fro.  "I  see  your  position," 
he  said  at  last.  "I  see  it  exactly  and  I  appreciate  it,  and 
I  want  to  come  in  and  help  you  fight,  too — that  is,  part 
of  me  does;  but  there  is  the  other  side,  also,  the  bigger 
side,  the  side  that  would  mean  a  sacrifice  of  the  present 
in  order  that  the  future  may  never  again  hear  the  hun- 
ger call."  He  paused  and  a  whimsical  expression  came 
on  his  grave  face.  "But  I  always  supposed  that  there 
was  no  end  to  our  money,  I  always  looked  on  you  as 
one  of  the  most  shining  successes  of  the  capitalistic 
system.  Why,  it  would  take  half  the  fun  out  of  it, 
Uncle,  to  think  that  instead  of  your  weltering  in  lucre, 
you  were  straining  every  nerve  to  keep  the  old  boat 
afloat.  I  can't  see  into  it :  here  I've  been  reading  of  your 
gifts,  and  I—" 

"Burton  again,"  snapped  the  uncle.  "Every  time  he 
led,  I  followed  suit — and  I  took  the  trick.  If  he  gave 
away  a  church,  I  gave  a  hospital ;  if  he  shaded  a  price, 
I  cut  it  to  the  quick;  if  he  took  away  my  best  man,  I 
took  the  next  best,  trained  him  up  until  he  was  better 
than  the  first,  and  beat  him  at  his  own  game.  Oh,  I've 
fought  him,  Dick,  I  certainly  have  fought  him,  but  he 
has  the  most  capital.  He  don't  know  it,  but  he  has. 

90 


DICK   VETOES    THE    CHOICE          91 

He  watered  his  stock  when  times  were  booming,  I 
wanted  to  keep  ours  as  close  as  possible,  and  yet 
branch  out,  too.  Now,  I  haven't  the  nerve  to  reach 
out  for  new  capital.  A  stumble  at  this  point  and  the 
whole  jig  is  up." 

"I  always  supposed  there  was  a  merger  between  you 
and  that  all  this  scrapping  was  merely  a  bluff.  Why 
don't  you  merge?" 

The  old  man  fidgeted  nervously  in  his  chair,  wiped 
his  forehead  with  a  very  large  white  silk  handkerchief, 
and  after  a  minute  asked:  "What  will  you  have  to 
drink,  Dick?" 

"I  think  I'll  take  a  Manhattan  to  make  sure  that 
I'm  back  home  again,"  replied  Dick,  glancing  curiously 
at  his  uncle  as  he  turned  and  touched  the  bell.  Almost 
as  soon  as  the  bell  had  ceased  to  vibrate  the  butler 
entered,  his  face  wrinkled  into  an  attempt  to  depict 
penitence,  hope  and  trepidation. 

Bannington  glared  at  him  fiercely  until  he  again 
looked  like  a  scared  rabbit,  and  then  said  courteously : 
"Higgins,  two  of  your  universal  brothers  feel  the  need 
of  a  little  stimulant.  Will  you  kindly  oblige  Mr.  Dick 
with  a  Manhattan  cocktail,  and  myself  with  some 
straight  whisky,  and" — suddenly  changing  his  voice — 
"be  damn  quick  about  it,  too." 

Higgins  hurried  away  with  a  sigh  of  relief.  He 
knew  that  there  were  several  jerks  still  in  store  for 
him ;  but  that,  to  a  large  extent,  his  rebellion  had  been 
forgiven.  Bannington  examined  his  finger-nails  in- 
tently as  if  to  assure  himself  that  they  were  in  no  dan- 
ger of  falling  out,  and  finally  said:  "To  tell  you  the 


92  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

truth,  Dick,  that  is  just  what  I  hoped  that  you  might 
bring  about." 

"I  bring  about?"  exclaimed  Dick'.  "Why,  Great 
Scott,  Uncle,  I  have  no  more  idea  of  how  a  merger  is 
merged  than  of  how  an  air-ship  is  aired.  I  always 
supposed  that — well,  to  be  perfectly  frank,  I  never 
thought  much  about  how  they  were  actually  made.  I 
first  condemned  trusts  in  a  way  to  make  them  shake 
in  their  shoes,  then  I  was  surprised  to  discover  that 
they  were  the  grandest  achievement  in  commercialism, 
and  would  continue  until  something  still  better  came 
along.  I  know  all  about  them,  and  their  habits  and 
their  destiny;  but  hanged  if  I  have  any  idea  how  to 
make  one." 

Higgins  entered  and  the  two  men  raised  their  glasses 
and  drank  in  silence.  Bannington  motioned  the  butler 
away  and  after  he  had  gone,  placed  his  finger  on  his 
lips  and  winked  at  Dick.  Dick  was  surprised  to  see  his 
uncle  next  tiptoe  to  the  door  and  hear  him  say  in  tones 
of  solicitous  kindliness:  "It  is  not  necessary  to  wait, 
Higgins.  If  I  need  you,  I'll  ring  the  bell" — again  a 
quick  change  of  voice — "and  if  I  catch  you  listening 
again,  I'll  wring  your  neck." 

"Confound  you,  Dick,"  after  he  had  returned  and 
taken  his  seat,  "two  days  ago  that  creature  was  a.  per- 
fect servant.  He  had  no  more  humanity  about  him 
than  an  electric  bell;  now  he  has  begun  to  think  for 
himself,  and  I  can  never  trust  him  again.  Dick,  I  wish 
you  would  make  up  your  mind  on  this  merger  business. 
Think  it  over,  anyway." 

"But,  Uncle,  I  have  absolutely  nothing  to  focus  on. 


DICK    VETOES    THE   CHOICE          93 

Have  you  ever  tried  to  effect  a  merger?  What  am  I 
to  plan  for?" 

"Oh,  Dick,  you  are  a  sad  disappointment  to  me," 
said  the  old  man,  shaking  his  head.  "I  can't  tell  you 
my  reasons ;  but — there  can  never  be  any  relations  be- 
tween Burton  and  myself.  We  must  fight  it  out  until 
one  or  the  other  goes  under.  Not  even  for  the  plant 
could  I  make  a  friendly  proposal  to  him ;  but  you — you 
have  no  personal  feelings  in  the  matter,  and  you  could 
bring  it  about.  He  is  just  as  tired  of  the  fight  as  I  am; 
but  also  just  as  proud." 

"That's  all  right,"  assented  Dick.  "I'm  not  afraid  of 
getting  turned  down  hard,  or  anything  of  that  kind; 
and  it's  part  of  my  philosophy  to  encourage  trusts  as 
much  as  possible.  Just  put  me  wise  to  the  project  and 
I'll  make  a  noise  like  a  corporation  senator;  but  you 
see,  I  don't  know  a  blame  thing  about  the  business. 
What  kind  of  a  talk  could  I  possibly  put  up?" 

"I  didn't  want  you  to  put  up  any  kind  of  a  talk, 
yourself.  I  wanted  you  to  be  drawn  into  it;  and  I 
meant  to  oppose  it  at  first  and  then  to  give  in  with  every 
sign  of  reluctance.  I'm  weary  of  war,  Dick.  I  have 
downtrodden  my  fellow  creatures  until  my  feet  are 
sore;  and  I  intended  to  retire  the  minute  you  caught 
the  swing,  and  I  wanted  this  merger  to  be  my  excuse. 
I've  had  the  harness  on  a  long  time,  boy,  a  long  time." 

"Well,  of  course  I  may  be  forced  into  the  harness 
against  my  will ;  but  for  the  life  of  me,  I  can't  under- 
stand what  you  are  talking  about.  You  say  you  want 
to  be  forced  into  doing  what  you  want  to  do  anyway, 
and  that  I  am  mixed  up  in  it.  You'll  have  to  forego  the 


94  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

Greek  oracle  style  and  talk  to  me  as  though  I  were  a 
truly  child.  What  is  your  plan,  and  what  can  I  do?" 

"Well,  Dick,  I  hoped — I  hoped  that  you  would  fall 
in  love  with  Miss  Burton — " 

"Miss  Burton !"  ejaculated  Dick. 

"Yes,"  responded  Bannington,  feeling  his  spirit 
gather  firmness  at  the  opposition  in  Dick's  tone.  "I 
knew  that  her  father  would  oppose  it  bitterly  on  his 
side,  I  intended  to  on  mine,  and  this  would  naturally 
make  you  all  the  more  determined  to  be  married — " 

"Married !"  exclaimed  Dick.  "Good  Lord,  Uncle ;  I 
should  rather  die  than  marry  her.  It's  the  most  pre- 
posterous thing  I  ever  heard  of.  You  have  more  ro- 
mance about  you  than  a  school-girl." 

"Romance!"  snorted  his  uncle.  "There  is  no  more 
romance  about  me  than  about  the  multiplication  table. 
I  knew  it  would  spoil  everything  if  I  had  to  tell  you 
about  it.  I  have  never  seen  her ;  but  I've  heard  that  she 
is  beautiful  and  accomplished.  I  know  that  her  mother 
was  a  beautiful  girl.  From  what  I've  seen  of  you,  I 
should  have  had  sense  enough  to  warn  you  against 
having  anything  to  do  with  her — that  is  just  what  I 
had  my  mind  all  made  up  to  do,  but  you  fooled  me 
into  telling  you.  A  man  has  to  be  sentimental  at  your 
age  and  it  seems  horrible  to  him  to  think  of  putting 
anything  that  smacks  of  business  or  horse  sense  into 
his  love  affairs.  She  is  a  lovely  girl,  no  doubt,  and — " 

"This  is  utterly  out  of  the  question,  so  you  may  as 
well  forget  it,"  interposed  Dick.  "I  am  willing  to  slay 
old  man  Burton,  or  do  anything  else  that's  reasonable ; 
but  I  could  never  think  of  marrying  that — now  I'm  not 


DICK   VETOES    THE   CHOICE          95 

putting  my  taste  against  yours ;  but  really  her — her  par- 
ticular style  of  beauty  does  not  appeal  to  me  at  all." 

"That  is  just  like  you,"  retorted  Bannington,  "you 
are  so  accustomed  to  judging  things  that  you  know 
nothing  about  that  you  condemn  a  girl  just  because  I 
say  that  it  is  policy  to  marry  her.  Wait  until  you  have 
seen  her." 

"I  have  seen  her,"  answered  Dick. 

"Where?" 

"Right  here  on  our  grounds." 

"What  ?  On  our  grounds !  What  was  she  doing  on 
cur  grounds?" 

"She  came  to  find — that  is,  she  was  walking  there." 

"Walking  on  my  grounds!  A  Burton  walking  on 
my  grounds!  I'll  have  a  high  board  fence  put  up  be- 
tween us ;  I'll  hire  keepers  to  arrest  trespassers ;  I'll — " 

"This  would  certainly  be  a  lovely  home  to  bring  my 
bride  to,  if  I  did  marry  Miss  Burton,"  said  Dick  sar- 
castically. "I  don't  see  what  the  deuce  you  want  with 
that  high  board  fence  and  those  keepers,  though — she 
did  not  harm  the  grass  any." 

"I'll  not  put  up  with  it.  Burton  just  moved  out  here 
to  spite  me.  I'll  start  that  fence  to-morrow." 

"Well,  I  want  you  to  give  orders  to  those  keepers," 
said  Dick  who  knew  that  his  uncle  was  a  man  of  his 
word,  "not  to  interfere  at  all  with  any  girls  who  come 
here  to  walk — that  is,  young  ladies,  you  know — with 
dogs." 

Bannington  looked  sharply  at  his  nephew.  "Did 
Miss  Burton  have  a  dog?"  he  asked. 

"Good  gracious,  no.    I  am  in  favor  of  keeping  her 


96  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

out ;  but  I  mean  good-looking  girls,  you  understand — 
that  is,  my  kind  of  good  looks." 

"Have  any  such  been  walking  on  these  grounds?" 
asked  Bannington  innocently. 

"I  think  I  did  see  one  to-day,"  answered  Dick,  flick- 
ing a  speck  of  dust  off  his  sleeve. 

"My  grounds  are  my  own,  and  they  are  private," 
said  the  other  with  emphasis.  "I  gave  two  parks  to  this 
town — what  does  it  expect?  What  kind  of  girl  was 
this?" 

"Why,  she  was  a — a  poor  girl." 

Bannington  sat  up  with  a  jerk  and  glared  at  his 
nephew.  "A  poor  girl,  huh?  You  are  a  true  reformer, 
all  right ;  you  have  all  the  symptoms !  Now.  I  want  you 
to  understand  right  here  that  I  have  a  limit.  You  don't 
turn  my  grounds  into  a  private  park  for  poor  girls  to 
walk  in  while  you  chaperone  them.  I  am  old-fashioned, 
and  the  first  talk  I  hear  about  your  getting  mixed  up  in 
this  new-fangled  affinity  nonsense,  that  very  minute  I 
put  you  in  your  right  place.  I  hold  the  power  to  make  a 
pauper  of  you.  do  you  understand  ?" 

"No,"  replied  Dick  calmly,  "I  don't  understand ;  but 
I  don't  care  if  you  do.  Then  there  will  be  no  earthly 
reason  for  me  to  bother  with  business,  and  I  can  give 
all  my  time  to  the  education  of  the  masses." 

"Indeed,  you  can,"  retorted  his  uncle  sarcastically, 
"and  I  suppose  you  would  begin  by  hunting  up  some 
one  to  support  you — as  did  the  three  tramps  you 
brought  home  with  you." 

Dick  immediately  stiffened.  "I  fancy  I  should  ex- 
perience little  difficulty  in  earning  my  own  living." 


DICK    VETOES    THE   CHOICE          97 

"Oh,  certainly ;  a  young  fellow  used  to  ten  thousand 
a  year  always  imagines  that  he  is  worth  it.  You 
couldn't  earn — really  earn — ten  dollars  a  week." 

"And  another  thing,"  continued  Dick,  "I  always  sup- 
posed that  this  house  and  my  income  were  my  own." 

"When  you  get  a  little  older,"  replied  his  uncle 
dryly,  "you'll  stop  supposing  and  take  a  deeper  inter- 
est in  getting  the  facts.  I  have  actual  control  until  you 
are  twenty-five,  and  if  you  go  too  far,  I'll  ditch  the 
whole  thing  and  make  you  a  pauper.  Now,  I  want  to 
know  whether  or  not  you  intend  to  work  under  my 
direction." 

"Yes,  I'll  work  under  your  direction,  if  you  will  let 
me  choose  the  job." 

The  old  man's  face  cleared,  his  nephew  had  enough 
sense  after  all  to  see  when  he  had  lost  the  game.  "Well, 
what  do  you  want  to  start  in  as?  Superintendent?" 

"No,"  answered  Dick  demurely,  "I  want  to  be  the 
keeper  who  watches  the  high  board  fence." 

Bannington  rose  to  his  feet,  the  veins  in  his  forehead 
swelling  with  wrath.  "You  young  scoundrel,  you !"  he 
roared.  "You  have  neither  sense  nor  decency;  but 
you'll  learn.  Oh,  you'll  learn,  all  right.  Just  wait  until 
I  get  through  with  you  and  you'll  stop  flapping  your 
wings  and  begin  to  whine  like  a  kicked  cur." 

Dick's  face  turned  red.  "Look  here,  Uncle,"  he  said 
in  a  low  tone,  "you  can't  bluff  me.  I'm  not  afraid  of 
poverty,  I'm  not  sentimental  about  the  Bannington 
plant ;  but  I  do  get  a  lot  of  enjoyment  out  of  life  itself 
and  I  don't  propose  to  give  that  up.  If  you  are  the  big 
stem  here  and  I  am  not  welcome  unless  I  shake  when 


98  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

you  have  a  chill,  why,  you  might  as  well  rub  my  name 
off  the  list  at  once;  but  you  may  as  well  understand 
right  here  at  the  scratch  that  while  I  am  always  open 
to  conviction,  that  is  the  only  thing  I  am  open  to.  I 
don't  propose  to  give  up — " 

"Open  to  conviction?"  sneered  the  old  man.  "You 
are  too  infernally  obstinate  to  be  open  to  anything  ex- 
cept some  idiotic  nonsense.  I  don't  see  where  you  got 
all  this  obstinacy  from!  But  I  can  tell  you  right  here 
that  it  is  not  going  to  be  popular  with  me.  I  have  tried 
to  reason  patiently  with  you;  but  I'm  sick  of  it.  Now, 
I'll  give  you  ten  days — just  ten  days  more  in  which  to 
get  your  eyes  open.  After  that,  if  you  don't  marry 
Miss  Burton  against  my  will — " 

"You  might  as  well  call  the  deal  off  at  once.  I'll 
never  marry  her — never.  Me  obstinate  ?  Why  an  army 
mule  is  a  vacillating  weather-cock  beside  you!  You 
pick  out  one  single,  diabolical  plan,  and  because  I  am 
too  human  to  yield  to  it,  you  fly  off  at  a  tangent.  I  have 
offered  to  do  everything  that  is  possible  to  a  man  of 
feeling;  but  I  tell  you  once  for  all,  I  shall  not  marry 
Miss  Burton." 

"I  have  given  you  ten  days,"  said  his  uncle  stiffly. 
"For  that  period  you  may  conduct  yourself  just  as  you 
please;  but  if  after  that  time  you  are  still  too  obstinate 
to  agree  to  my  wishes,  I  shall  consider  you  a  renegade, 
and  a  traitor  to  your  class,  to  me,  and  to  the  memory 
of  your  father.  He  founded  the  Bannington  Steel 
Plant;  it  stands  as  his  monument,  and  if  you  desert  it, 
you  dishonor  his  memory.  This  settles  it  as  far  as  I 
am  concerned." 


DICK   VETOES   THE   CHOICE          99 

As  the  old  man  spoke  his  temper  left  him  and  when 
he  finished,  his  voice  was  trembling  with  real  feeling. 
Dick  was  hurt  and  his  voice  rang  with  protest  as  he 
answered :  "You  have  no  right  to  make  such  a  state- 
ment. It  is  the  work  of  a  bully;  but  I  am  not  coward 
enough  to  be  your  tool.  You  have  browbeaten  men 
so  often  that  you  have  lost  your  power  to  reason — you 
simply  batter  down ;  but  you  can  not  batter  me  down. 
I  shall  devote  myself  to  a  broader  cause  than  you  can 
conceive  and  if  you  tear  down  the  monument  which  my 
father  raised  to  himself,  I  shall  raise  him  a  better  one, 
and  one  which  will  not  be  torn  down  as  long  as  man 
remembers." 

"And  that  will  be  about  fifteen  minutes,"  retorted 
Bannington.  "Well,  at  least  we  understand  each  other." 

"Yes,  we  understand  each  other." 

"Now,  don't  be  a  welcher,"  said  the  old  man  grimly. 
"I  have  given  you  fair  warning.  You  know  me — I  am 
not  accustomed  to  half-way  measures;  and  I  am  pre- 
pared to — " 

"Dinner  is  served,  sir,"  intruded  the  contrite  voice 
of  Higgins,  the  butler. 

"Well,  what  are  you  prepared  to  do?"  demanded 
Dick,  ignoring  the  interruption. 

"I  am  prepared  to  eat  my  dinner,"  said  Bannington, 
stalking  off  to  the  dining-room. 

"Higgins,  tell  my  friends  that  dinner  is  served,  and 
conduct  them  to  it.  They  are  in  the  billiard-room. 
And,  Higgins,  don't  be  bluffed  so  easily.  You  are  a 
man.  Study  those  pamphlets  and  make  sure  of  them, 
and  then  insist  upon  getting  your  rights." 


ioo  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

"Yes,  sir,"  answered  Higgins  anxiously  as  he  started 
on  his  errand. 

"But,  Higgins,"  called  Dick,  "don't  be  too  overbear- 
ing with  it  at  first — especially  with  my  uncle.  He  is  a 
man  of  strong  convictions,  and  they  are  not  sympa- 
thetic." 

The  butler  opened  his  mouth  as  if  to  reply,  changed 
his  mind,  and  bowed  after  the  manner  of  one  whose 
emotions  are  far  beyond  his  powers  of  expression. 

It  was  now  Dick's  turn  to  survey  himself  in  the  pier- 
glass.  At  first  his  face  was  heavily  lined  and  serious ; 
but  after  a  moment  an  old-time  grin  came  on  it.  "It 
looks  to  me  as  though  another  air-ship  had  come  to 
earth,"  he  said  in  a  droll  voice,  much  like  that  of  his 
uncle.  "This  has  been  a  ripping  old  home-coming  and 
that's  no  joke.  When  did  I  arrive?  Great  Scott,  not 
this  morning !  Well,  at  least  there  seems  to  be  little  risk 
of  ennui.  I  shall  not  marry  Miss  Burton;  but  if  pos- 
sible I  shall  marry  into  the  family.  Poor  old  uncle — 
he's  as  narrow-minded  as  an  epigram.  But  he  is  up 
against  the  real  thing  this  trip,  and  I  shall —  But  the 
first  thing  to  do  is  to  go  in  to  dinner.  I  certainly  do 
feel  the  need  of  a  little  nourishment." 

He  put  his  hands  into  his  pockets  boyishly  as  he 
started  for  the  door,  and,  in  spite  of  his  revolutionary 
ambitions,  his  tanned  face  with  its  frank,  open  expres- 
sion, now  that  the  reaction  had  come  and  gone  with 
the  usual  speed  of  young  emotions,  would  have  proved 
effective  in  gaining  most  of  the  favors  which  the  fool- 
ish, sentimental  old  world  has  to  grant. 


CHAPTER   X 

A  ROUGH  BIT  OF  ROAD 

WHEN  Dick  arrived  at  the  dinner  table,  he  found 
his  guests  already  seated  in  the  midst  of  a  si- 
lence which  was  far  from  soothing.  His  uncle  sat  at 
the  head  of  the  table  looking  like  the  reincarnation  of 
a  thunder  cloud,  the  count  was  toying  with  a  spoon  on 
which  his  gaze  was  concentrated.  His  eyebrows  were 
raised,  and  his  smile  seemed  a  personal  taunt  to  Dick. 

Dick  took  his  seat  rather  noisily  and  said  heartily: 
"There  is  nothing  so  conducive  to  good  digestion  as  a 
liberal  mixture  of  conversation  with  the  food.  I  have 
often  thought  that  the  reason  our  ancestors  were  able 
to  abuse  their  stomachs  as  carelessly  and  as  constantly 
as  they  did,  was  because  they  were  a  cheerful,  social 
lot,  and  never  let  their  business  intrude  on  their  pleas- 
ures, one  of  the  most  important  of  which  was  eating." 

The  butler  placed  the  soup  and  the  other  diners  gave 
it  their  entire  attention. 

"It  would  be  helpful  to  know,"  continued  Dick  cour- 
ageously, "whether  or  not  man  enjoys  life  as  much  as 
some  of  the  other  animals.  Our  appetites  were  given 
to  us  as  guides,  but  we  have  overcome  them  and  made 
slaves  of  them  for  the  most  part.  Of  course  in  some 
cases  they  are  too  powerful  to  surrender  and  very  often 
their  rebellion  is  successful  and  we  become  slaves  of 

101 


102  THE    STEERING   WHEEL' 

them.  Any  system  which  attempts  to  run  with  master 
and  slave  is  doomed — even  the  human  system.  All  our 
suffering,  our  failures,  and  our  vices  are  due  to  a  re- 
fusal to  live  democratically  with  our  appetites  and  de- 
sires. We  no  longer  feel  actual  hunger,  but  a  cultivated 
desire  for  some  artificial  blending  of  unnatural  flavors. 
It  is  the  same  with  the  rest  of  our  appetites." 

The  butler  took  the  empty  soup  plates  away. 

"To  be  sure,  the  brutes  do  not  really  converse  at  their 
meals,"  resumed  Dick,  as  though  he  were  holding  his 
listeners  spellbound,  "but  at  the  same  time  they  make 
noises  to  indicate  that  the  exercise  is  a  pleasant  one.  It 
is  extremely  agreeable  to  hear  a  stable  of  cows  or 
horses  eating  their  evening  meal.  Especially  is  this  true 
of  a  military  stable  after  the  horses  have  been  vigor- 
ously exercised,  rubbed  down,  freshly  bedded,  and 
newly  fed — the  cheerful  crunching,  the  soft  sighs  of 
contentment,  the  rustling  of  the  hay  just  for  the  fun  of 
hearing  it  rustle.  And  then  take  a  kennel  of  dogs,  the 
growling  and  grunting  is  not  of  ill  humor,  but  is  merely 
their  distinctive  method  of  expressing  approval." 

The  butler  brought  in  and  distributed  the  fish.  He 
walked  without  making  the  slightest  sound. 

"The  cat  wishes  to  display  the  mouse  before  she  de- 
vours it,  or  if  she  is  spreading  a  feast  for  her  kittens 
she  makes  a  peculiar  throaty  gurgle  to  instil  into  their 
young  minds  the  virtue  of  encouraging  the  appetites ; 
but  man  is  never  content  to  make  a  pact  with  nature. 
Appetites  are  originally  natural,  therefore  they  must  be 
remodeled.  The  imperious  in  man's  character  causes 
him  untold  pain.  It  would  be  much  easier  to  cooperate 


A   ROUGH    BIT   OF   ROAD  103 

with  nature  than  completely  to  overcome  her ;  but  man 
is  unable  to  see  it.  He  is  not  content  to  rule  the  earth 
as  a  species,  nor  even  as  a  race ;  he  must  rule  it  as  an 
individual.  He  tries  to  cut  himself  loose  from  his  fel- 
lows, he  tries  to  cut  himself  loose  from  nature  itself, 
and  struggle  up,  up,  up  to  where  he  will  have  dominion 
over  all  other  forces — and  the  hatred  of  every  creature 
possessing  the  rudiments  of  a  mind.  I  delight  in  social 
intercourse" — Dick's  voice  was  becoming  more  em- 
phatic as  he  gradually  lost  patience — "but  if  fate  or- 
dains that  I  eat  in  the  midst  of  four  mummies  and  a 
mechanical  toy,  I  can  stand  it  just  as  long  as  they  can, 
longer,  for  at  least  I  shall  have  something  pleasant  to 
think  about." 

The  butler  noiselessly  removed  the  fish  plates,  and 
the  meal  continued  in  moody  silence. 

At  last  the  coffee  was  brought  and  Bannington 
cleared  his  throat  twice  and  asked  abruptly :  "What  are 
you  going  to  do  to  celebrate  the  Fourth  of  July?  To- 
morrow is  the  Fourth." 

Dick  stirred  his  coffee  without  noticing  the  remark 
and  his  uncle's  face  began  to  burn.  "Are  you  my 
nephew,  or  not?"  he  demanded. 

"That  is  a  matter  which  I  have  never  investigated," 
gently  replied  Dick  who  found  the  opportunity  irre- 
sistible, "but  for  the  sake  of  argument,  I  am  willing  to 
concede  it." 

"I  asked  you  a  question,  and  I  expect  an  answer — 
what  are  you  going  to  do  to  celebrate  the  Fourth  ?" 

"I  think  I  shall  stroll  in  the  park  and  exercise  Mulli- 
gan," answered  Dick. 


104  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

"A  typical  sample  of  your  patriotism!"  retorted 
Bannington.  "Here  you  rush  about  shouting  for  free- 
dom and  independence,  and  yet  you  celebrate  our  na- 
tional Independence  Day  by  associating  with  a  bulldog 
— which  I  must  admit  seems  the  society  you  are  best 
adapted  to." 

"To  which  you  are  best  adapted,"  corrected  Dick  im- 
personally while  his  uncle's  teeth  gritted  together.  "Did 
you  ever  stop  to  consider,"  continued  Dick  as  though 
to  an  inquiring  child,  "that  the  Fourth  of  July  is  not  a 
truly  national  day  of  independence?  This  entire  na- 
tion did  not  attempt  to  gain  independence  in  the  Amer- 
ican Revolution,  it  was  only  the  capitalistic  class  which 
attempted,  and  gained,  independence.  The  workers 
continued  to  be  exploited  just  the  same  and  to  just  the 
same  extent." 

"Oh,  rot!" 

"It  is  not  rot,  it  is  the  simple  truth,"  rejoined  Dick; 
but  before  he  could  continue,  Emil  began  to  squirm  in 
his  seat,  to  rumble  in  his  throat,  and  finally,  raising  his 
inevitable  forefinger,  he  said  solemnly : 

"Of  a  truth  the  American  Revolution  most  other 
wars  resembles."  Lorrain  gave  a  despairing  sigh  which 
was  half  a  groan,  and  Emil  turned  to  him  and  said,  "I 
will  not  upon  figures  touch,  I  will  simply  the  short 
outline  of  a  few  wars  sketch." 

"What  do  we  want  with  the  short  outline  of  a  few 
wars?"  asked  Bannington  testily. 

"So  that  we  can  the  better  understand  why  was  the 
American  Revolution,"  answered  Emil  respectfully 
and  seriously.  As  there  was  no  active  pretest,  Emil 


A   ROUGH    BIT   OF   ROAD  105 

straightened  in  his  chair  and  asked  with  accusing 
abruptness :  "What  happened  in  India  ?"  Nothing 
could  have  been  less  in  the  minds  of  his  listeners,  and 
the  only  response  was  a  shifting  in  the  chairs.  "I  will 
tell  you :  just  what  has  always  happened  when  robbery 
was  planned  on  a  large  scale.  The  East  India  Company 
wss  at  first  nothing  but  a  gang  of  licensed  pirates ;  but 
they  saw  that  in  order  the  surplus  products  of  labor 
to  seize,  first  must  they  grab  the  government.  You  see  ? 
Always  the  government  must  be  owned  by  the  big  rob- 
bers, always  has  it  been;  now,  still  is  it.  When  Lord 
Clive  was  tried  for  stealing  a  few  tons  of  rupees  for 
himself,  what  cleared  him?  The  fact  that  he  a  patriot 
was,  and  that  he  had  not  stolen  all  there  was  to  steal. 

"Again,  what  about  the  Boer  War?  Were  the  Boers 
simple-hearted  patriots,  and  the  British  tyrannical  con- 
querors ?  Not  so ;  they  fought  to  see  which  set  of  capi- 
talists should  exploit  the  men  who  work  in  the  gold 
mines  of  the  Rand  and  in  the  diamond  fields  of  Kim- 
berly.  The  man  behind  the  gun,  he  is  also  behind  the 
times,  many,  many  years.  He  knows  how  to  aim,  but 
not  why. 

"Again,  take  one  little  look  at  your  war  with  Spain. 
Was  it  because  Spain  was  cruel  ?  Oh,  that  is  to  laugh ! 
Russia  can  thousands  persecute,  but  you  talk  not  war 
with  Russia.  One  day  it  will  be  known  that  because 
Cuba  sugar  raised,  the  great  United  States  went  to 
war  for  her.  Now  the  people  did  not  know,  the  people 
are  patriots — and  dupes.  They  know  not  even  how  it 
is  that  the  opinions  which  they  call  their  own  are  in- 
jected into  them  with  shrewd  and  secret  skill.  The  poor 


106  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

boys  who  were  killed  by  Spanish  bullets  and  American 
meat  supposed  they  were  dying  for  their  flag.  This  is 
why  it  is  not  all  funny  to  climb  up  high  and  look  down 
at  a  war. 

"Because  freemen  work  cheaper  than  chattel  slaves, 
and  because  the  men  in  the  North  saw  a  chance  to  make 
money  in  the  South,  was  why  what  is  the  Civil  War 
called,  was  fought ;  but  we  shall  now  turn  to  the  Amer- 
ican Revolution.  Everybody  knows  that  the  fathers  of 
the  Revolution  were  smugglers  and  land-thieves,  and 
that  they  were  held  back  from  grabbing  more  by  the 
capitalists  of  England  who  owned  the  government.  All 
commerce  had  to  be  on  ships  built  in  England  carried, 
they  could  not  anything  manufacture  which  could  in 
England  be  manufactured,  all  their  best  products  must 
to  England  be  sold,  in  Maine  all  trees  over  two  feet  in 
diameter  must  for  the  royal  navy  be  saved,  everywhere 
no  sooner  was  a  chance  found  to  get  a  profit  from  the 
toilers,  than  it  was  grabbed  away  to  England.  Of 
course,  this  no  difference  made  to  the  toilers  who  were 
getting  just  a  living,  could  get  no  less  and  would  get 
no  more ;  but  how  easy  to  fool  them  it  was. 

"Patriotism,  bloodshed,  war!  Always  men  who  are 
,  weary  of  toiling  like  slaves  will  go  out  and  fight  like 
savages.  All  they  get  is  the  fight,  not  the  spoils,  and  so 
they  fight  the  harder.  They  all  felt  angry  about  the 
stamp  acts — what  to  do  with  stamps  had  working-men  ? 
They  had  no  contracts,  they  had  no  documents;  but 
they  got  more  angry  than  any  one  else.  Also  about  the 
tea.  Tea  was  a  luxury,  working-men  did  not  have  it 
much,  the  men  who  the  declaration  signed  made  money 


A   ROUGH    BIT   OF   ROAD  107 

smuggling  in  the  tea.  They  wished  the  tax  to  be  as  high 
as  possible.  The  East  India  Company  had  millions  of 
pounds  of  tea  they  could  not  sell;  they  had  ships  of  it 
in  Boston  Harbor,  they  had  the  tax  removed.  What 
then  ?  Then  they  could  their  tea  for  a  lower  price  than 
the  smugglers  sell.  Patriotism,  where  is  patriotism? 
The  smugglers  aroused  the  people  to  become  Indians 
and  the  tea  was  dumped  overboard. 

"And  yet,"  said  Emil  softly,  for  him,  "there  are 
patriots,  there  are  men  who  rise  above  economic  in- 
fluence. We  do  not  often  in  history  read  of  them  until 
many  years  after  they  have  passed  on;  but  they  are  like 
gods,  they  are  above  the  criticism,  the  jealousy,  and  the 
hatred  of  their  fellows.  Such  a  one  was  Tom  Paine. 
Of  his  small  fortune,  he  gave  all,  of  his  great  head,  he 
gave  all,  of  his  tender  heart,  he  gave  all,  and  yet  if 
they  could  erase  his  name  from  the  roll  of  honor  they 
would  at  once  do  it.  I  shall  now  tell  to  you  what  he 
did  for  one  thing:  he  wrote  a  pamphlet  called  Common 
Sense.  I  shall  now  about  Common  Sense  explain." 

"Common  sense!"  ejaculated  Bannington,  who  had 
reached  his  limit  of  patience.  "There  isn't  enough 
common  sense  in  the  four  of  you  to  do  one  child  a 
day !"  And  he  stamped  out  of  the  room  and  into  his 
office. 

Emil  looked  after  him  wonderingly.  "Tom  Paine 
was  a  great  man,"  he  said  thoughtfully.  "He  said, 
'Where  liberty  is  not,  there  is  my  country,'  and  he 
meant  it.  Did  he  not  to  France  go  and  did  he.  not  prove 
that  she  was  his  country  by  fighting  for  her?  Tom 
Paine  I  admire,  but  scarcely  can  I  understand  him.  He 


io8  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

was  above  economic  determinism;  there  is,  then,  no 
motives  left  to  explain  the  actions  of  such  a  man." 

"I  believe  that  Mr.  Bannington  is  right,"  said  Lor- 
rain  disdainfully.  "Common  sense  is  getting  to  be  a 
scarce  article  with  us.  He  is  the  head  of  this  house  and 
has  a  right  to  consideration.  First,  Dick  comes  and 
speaks  a  monologue  about  eating,  which  would  take 
away  the  appetite  of  a  pig,  and  then  Emil  preaches 
about  war  until  he  becomes  the  just  excuse  for  one." 

"My  uncle  is  a  kind-hearted  man,  but  very  irascible," 
explained  Dick,  half  in  defense  and  half  in  condemna- 
tion, "but  you  must  not  feel  that  you  are  any  the  less 
welcome.  This  is  your  home  as  long  as  you  wish  to 
stay  and  the  very  fact  that  he  does  just  as  he  pleases, 
is  meant  that  he  also  extends  to  you  the  right  to  do 
just  as  you  please." 

"Never  will  he  become  a  socialist,"  said  Ivan  sagely- 

"No,"  assented  Dick,  "he  has  belonged  to  the  master 
class  for  so  many  years  that  he  can  no  longer  sympa- 
thize with  the  men  whose  actual  toil  produces  all  the 
wealth." 

At  this  juncture,  the  self-respecting  tread  of  Mr. 
Bannington  was  heard  approaching.  "I  want  to  ask 
you,"  he  said,  looking  at  Dick,  "if  your  own  forebears 
were  aristocrats  or  laboring  men?  Was  your  grand- 
father born  with  a  silver  spoon  in  his  mouth,  or  did  he 
go  into  the  West  as  a  pioneer  and  hew  a  farm  out  of 
the  rugged  forest?  Did  your  father  sit  around  and 
wail  because  there  was  no  longer  any  opportunity  for 
a  young  man,  or  did  he  come  back  into  the  East  and 
establish  the  Bannington  Steel  Plant  ?  You,  you  are  the 


A    ROUGH    BIT    OF    ROAD  109 

only  one  of  the  line  for  generations  who  has  not  been 
forced  to  begin  working  before  he  had  his  growth ;  and 
yet  you  are  the  only  one  who  has  thrown  up  his  hands 
in  despair  because  there  was  no  more  opportunity  for  a 
young  man." 

"That  is  because  I  am  the  only  one  who  has  had  the 
leisure  to  learn  how  to  think,"  replied  Dick  calmly. 
"You  can  work  a  colt  so  hard  that  he  will  be  too  stupid 
to  kick;  but — " 

Bannington  whirled  about,  clenched  his  fist,  struck  a 
short-arm  jab  at  the  empty  air  and  stamped  back  to  his 
office. 

"You  don't  treat  your  uncle  properly,"  said  Lorrain. 
"He  is  an  old  man  and  you  have  no  right  to  fret  him 
so." 

"You  try  being  kind  to  him  a  while,"  answered  Dick 
dryly.  "You  give  him  your  arm  and  assist  him  up  the 
steps — and  then  see  where  you  land." 

"I  tell  you,"  said  Emil  decisively,  "that  there  is  a 
man  who  thinks.  He  flies  away  in  a  rage  and  you  say, 
he  did  not  hear,  he  did  not  understand ;  but  all  the  while 
he  is  turning  things  over  in  his  mind.  I  tell  you  he  is 
a  man  who  thinks." 

"Do  you  think  he  will  ever  become  a  socialist?" 
asked  Ivan. 

"Xo,  nor  do  I  ever  expect  to  see  a  lion  turn  into  a 
dove,"  answered  Lorrain,  "but  I  do  like  to  see  an  el- 
derly man  get  some  of  the  respect  which  is  due  him." 

"I  treated  him  not  without  respect,"  said  Emil.  "Did 
I  act  as  if  his  age  prevented  him  from  forming  true 
conclusions?  I  did  not.  I  placed  before  him  a  few 


no  THE    STEERING   WHEEU 

facts,  and  if  he  had  but  been  of  a  patience  to  await  my 
finish,  I  should  have  listened  attentively  to  his  reply." 

"As  well  ask  a  man  to  await  the  finish  of  the  gla- 
ciers," scoffed  Lorrain. 

"It  must  be  confessed  that  my  uncle  holds  narrow 
views  on  many  subjects;  but  he  has  labored  hard  all 
his  life  and  this  explains  why  his  character  is  not 
rounded  out,"  said  Dick. 

Emil  and  Lorrain  continued  to  discuss  Mr.  Banning- 
ton's  shortcomings;  but  Dick  fell  into  a  reverie  which 
had  started  during  the  fish  course,  and  which  Emil's 
war  cloud  had  interrupted.  He  very  much  wished  to 
know  more  about  the  location  of  his  uncle's  park,  rela- 
tive to  the  property  of  his  immediate  neighbors.  "I 
think  I  shall  take  Mulligan  for  a  stroll,"  he  said  after  a 
few  minutes'  silence.  "You  may  do  whatever  you  wish 
and  I  shall  be  back  shortly." 

"Did  any  one  ever  before  see  such  an  establish- 
ment?" asked  Lorrain  derisively,  as  soon  as  Dick  had 
closed  the  side  door  after  him.  "The  servants  are  ill- 
trained  and  impertinent,  the  master  and  his  nephew 
quarrel  incessantly,  and  the  nephew,  who  is  supposed 
to  be  our  host,  leaves  us  to  our  own  devices  most  of  the 
time." 

"I  feel  at  home,"  answered  Emil,  helping  himself 
to  some  more  cheese.  "It  is  not  surprising  that  a  youth 
fresh  home  after  two  years'  absence  would  wish  a  few 
moments  to  himself,  now  and  again  to  have." 

"I  suppose,"  said  Lorrain  pushing  back  his  chair, 
"that  any  one  accustomed  to  a  lunch  counter  would  be 
carried  away  by  the  grandeur  of  a  country  inn,  but  I 


A    ROUGH    BIT   OF   ROAD  in 

must  say  that  I  have  never  been  entertained  at  such 
a  hodgepodge  of  a  house  as  this.  Now,  I  am  going 
up  to  my  room  to  write  a  few  letters,  but  later  if  you 
wish  a  game  of  billiards,  I  am  at  your  disposal." 

As  soon  as  he  had  left  Ivan  glanced  at  Emil  who 
had  drawn  another  cup  of  coffee  from  the  urn  which 
still  remained  with  the  alcohol  lamp  burning  beneath 
it,  and  said :  "He  can  not  get  over  the  proud  feeling 
of  having  been  a  count." 

"Who,  him?"  asked  Emil,  thrusting  a  thumb  in  the 
direction  which  Lorrain  had  gone.  "Well,  many  counts 
have  I  not  known,  but  between  you  and  me,  Ivan,  I 
don't  think  he  ever  was  a  count." 

Ivan's  earnest  eyes  opened  wider.  "Why  should  any 
man  not  forced  to,  admit  that  he  belongs  to  the  op- 
pressing class?" 

"Ho!"  laughed  Emil  explosively.  "Ivan,  it  sur- 
prises me  that  one  man  can  know  as  little  and  as  much 
as  you  do.  You  know  about  the  causes  of  war,  you 
know  Machiavelli  by  heart  and  therefore  can  under- 
stand the  underlying  motives  of  what  we  call  the 
heroes  of  history,  but  it  wouldn't  surprise  me  to  see 
you  sacrifice  yourself  to  satisfy  the  whim  of  a  friend. 
You  have  no  country  now,  or  you  might  even  take  a 
gun  and  go  forth  for  a  flag  to  fight.  You  are  still 
nothing  but  a  child.  Don't  you  know  that  many 
people  would  rather  give  rich  food  to  a  count  for  noth- 
ing than  to  give  bread  in  return  for  honest  service? 
You  have  done  all  kinds  of  work ;  you  have  dug  ditches 
and  you  have  the  sons  of  rich  men  for  college  fitted 
when  you  lived  in  London.  I  also  have  worked  with 


112  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

my  hands  and  with  my  head  all  over  the  world.  But 
did  you  ever  hear  Lorrain  brag  of  working?  He  would 
like  to  be  called  a  hero  for  giving  up  his  title,  but  still 
get  all  that  his  title  ever  brought  him.  His  family 
tree  is  a  rotten  one;  I  looked  it  up — it  wasn't  there." 

Ivan  looked  solemn  at  this  account  of  the  peculiar 
trickery  of  Lorrain's  family  tree,  but  he  shook  his 
head.  "No,  I  can  not  believe  that  he  was  never  a 
count.  He  acts  like  one." 

"Acts  like  one?"  scoffed  Emil.  "You  still  have 
something  of  the  peasant  clinging  to  you,  after  all. 
Acts  like  one!  One  would  think  that  being  a  count 
was  as  hard  to  hide  as  being  a  zebra.  I  was  waited 
on  once  by  a  real  count  and  for  all  I  know  I  have  been 
shaved  by  one." 

"It  must  have  been  long  ago,"  said  Ivan,  looking  at 
his  friend's  tangled  beard.  "Is  it  not  strange  that  Dick 
sets  so  much  affection  on  a  dog?" 

Emil  looked  at  Ivan  and  winked  a  long,  knowing 
and  thoroughly  profound  wink.  "Nietzsche  says, 
Ivan :  'Oversweet  fruits  the  warrior  liketh  not.  There- 
fore he  liketh  woman.  Bitter  is  even  the  sweetest 
woman.'  Dick  has  in  him  much  of  the  warrior — but 
I  do  not  deny  that  he  is  fond  of  that  bulldog." 

Ivan  sat  in  deep  study.  "All  women  are  not  bitter," 
he  said  softly. 

"Not  to  all  men — at  the  same  time,"  chuckled  Emil. 

"I  was  thinking  of  my  mother,"  said  Ivan. 

"Think,  then,  also  of  your  father,"'  returned  Emil. 
"He  knew  more  on  some  subjects  than  you." 

Ivan  merely  sighed.    He  found  it  necessary  to  sigh 


A   ROUGH    BIT   OF    ROAD  113 

frequently  in  order  to  brush  away  the  minor  irrita- 
tions which  were  a  by-product  of  his  friendship  for 
Emil.  That  a  nature  could  be  battered  and  abused  as 
Ivan's  had  been  and  still  retain  its  sweetness,  its  ideals, 
and  to  a  large  extent,  its  reverence,  was  a  condition 
which  Emil  was  unable  to  grasp.  He  had  undergone 
much  the  same  process,  but  the  result  had  been  entirely 
different.  Now,  he  very  rarely  felt  things;  he  merely 
thought  them.  He  looked  on  individuals  of  his  own 
species  much  as  he  looked  on  ants.  It  amused  him  to 
study  their  bustling  ways,  but  their  emotions  were  en- 
tirely apart  from  him. 

"Woman's  .development  has  been  so  hampered  by 
man  that  no  matter  what  she  has  done — and  I  admit 
that  some  women  have,  through  bitterness  and  vanity, 
caused  much  evil — yet,  no  matter  what  she  has  done, 
I  could  never  hate  her,"  said  Ivan. 

"It  is  just  and  wise  to  hate  those  who  have  injured 
you,  Ivan,"  said  Emil  virtuously. 

"It  belongs  to  human  nature  to  hate  those  you  have 
injured,"  responded  Ivan  quietly. 

"Tacitus  invented  many  aphorisms  you  could  do 
entirely  without,"  rejoined  Emil,  kindly  letting  Ivan 
know  who  was  more  fittingly  responsible  for  the  senti- 
ment he  had  just  expressed.  "It  weakens  a  man  to  love 
the  wicked." 

"No  man  ever  became  wicked  all  at  once,"  answered 
Ivan. 

"Juvenal  did  not  have  sufficient  data  when  he  wrote 
that,"  responded  Emil.  "A  wicked  man  was  born  a 
wicked  man.  When  he  first  contemplates  evil,  when 


ii4  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

he  first  considers  it,  when  he  first  embraces  it,  are 
merely  descending  opportunities,  or  steps,  on  the  same 
stair." 

"That  is  nonsense,"  said  Ivan  emphatically.  "You 
so  love  to  break  down  a  maxim  that  you  care  not  if 
the  truth  also  goes  down  with  it.  And  also  you  think 
it  is  wonderfully  smart  to  give  the  name  of  an  au- 
thority who  has  also  uttered  the  same  sentiment  that 
another  speaks.  For  me,  I  am  always  willing  to  con- 
cede the  truth  gladly,  when  it  is  the  truth." 

"The  concessions  of  the  weak  are  the  concessions  of 
fear,"  replied  Emil  placidly. 

"Edmund  Burke,  Edmund  Burke,  Edmund  Burke!" 
cried  Ivan  finally,  losing  patience,  rising  to  his  feet 
and  hurling  the  name  into  Emil's  very  face.  Then 
he  turned  and  strode  out  of  the  room  and  up  to  his  bed- 
chamber. 

"A  little  thing  seems  great  to  a  little  man,"  said 
Emil  thoughtfully,  as  he  drew  another  cup  of  coffee, 
helped  himself  to  a  bit  of  cheese,  and  settled  himself 
more  comfortably  in  his  comfortable  chair.  After 
eating  his  bit  of  cheese  he  lighted  a  large  cigar  and  sat 
dreamily  smoking  and  sipping  the  black  coffee.  Emil 
knew  all  the  laws  of  diet,  but  he  never  considered  their 
personal  application.  His  nerves  were  of  copper,  and 
as  he  sat  at  ease  there  was  not  a  wrinkle  on  his  face. 
It  was  hard  and  smooth  and  kindly,  like  the  bronze 
statue  of  a  gentle  god.  "I  will  see  if  I  can  again  find 
the  book  on  the  relation  of  commerce  to  conquest,"  he 
said  at  last,  rising  and  walking  into  the  library. 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE  GIRL  AT  THE  WHEEL 

HT^HE  next  morning  Dick's  guests  were  again  left  to 
•*-  amuse  themselves  as  best  they  could  while  he  took 
Mulligan  for  a  walk  in  the  park.  On  the  night  before 
he  had  discovered  that  the  Burton  place,  on  the  right  of 
Bannington  Park,  as  one  entered  its  front  gate,  ex- 
tended back  as  far  as  did  that  of  his  uncle's,  but  con- 
tained only  ten  acres.  The  Staunton  place  was  on  the 
left  and  seemed  to  be  a  little  larger  than  the  park.  At 
least  half  of  it  was  given  up  to  pasture  and  garden, 
while  the  Burton  place  was  still  covered  with  old 
indigenous  trees  in  the  rear,  but  displayed  rather 
artistic  landscaping  at  the  front. 

Mulligan  had  slept  soundly  after  his  night's  prowl- 
ing, and  was  fresh  and  eager  for  any  kind  of  adven- 
ture. Dick  began  at  the  hedge  where  it  touched  on 
the  road  and  followed  it  carefully  along  the  Burton 
boundary.  Mulligan  was  not  sure  whether  cats  or 
rabbits  were  the  game,  but  he  industriously  thrust  him- 
self into  every  break,  and  Dick  gave  them  a  still  more 
critical  examination.  He  found  four  which  had  evi- 
dently been  used  as  passages,  but  he  failed  to  chance 
on  the  girl  with  the  collie.  At  the  farthest  opening 
Mulligan  growled  savagely,  and  Dick  decided  that  this 


ii6  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

one  had  recently  been  used,  at  least  by  the  foreign 
dog. 

An  indistinct  path  led  into  the  tangle  of  the  park, 
and  his  thorough  investigation  of  this  consumed  the 
rest  of  the  morning.  When  he  reached  the  house  he 
found  that  Lorrain  had  gone  to  New  York  and  that 
Emil  and  Ivan  had  decided  to  make  the  same  trip 
after  luncheon. 

"That's  a  good  idea,"  said  Dick  heartily. 

"You  will  come  also?"  asked  Ivan. 

"No,  not  this  afternoon.     You  see — " 

"The  dog,"  suggested  Emil,  "he  will  more  exercise 
require." 

"Yes,"  answered  Dick,  "he  is  a  lot  better  already, 
and  if  I  just  keep  him  at  it  for  a  few  days  he  will  begin 
to  shape  up  again." 

"I  would  give  him  to  a  farmer,"  said  Ivan.  "On 
a  farm  he  would  not  get  too  much  rich  food,  and  he 
would  have  plenty. of  exercise.  On  a  farm  a  dog 
is  treated  like  a  dog,  not  like  a  prince,  and  it  would  do 
him  good." 

"You  already  know  some  of  the  socialists  of  New 
York,"  said  Dick,  seeing  no  hope  of  making  his  atti- 
tude toward  Mulligan  appear  rational  to  Ivan,  or  sin- 
cere to  Emil,  "and  they  will  make  you  known  to  the 
other  leaders.  You  must  come  and  go  and  do  just 
as  you  like  until  I  get  through  with  a  few  private  mat- 
ters, and  then  we  shall  open  our  campaign  in  earnest." 

"Even  so,"  assented  Emil  enigmatically. 

As  soon  as  they  were  gone  Dick  once  more  took 
Mulligan,  who  sniffed  wistfully  as  the  kitchen  odors 


THE   GIRL   AT   THE   WHEEL         117 

floated  out  to  him,  but  who  was  thoroughly  game  and 
optimistically  hopeful  that  the  elusive  prey  which  had 
baffled  them  during  the  forenoon  would  now  fall  to 
their  prowess.  This  time  Dick  examined  the  hedge  be- 
tween the  park  and  the  Staunton  place,  finding  three 
openings,  but  none  which  aroused  personal  resent- 
ment on  the  part  of  his  ally. 

On  reaching  the  house  he  found  a  message  from  his 
uncle  saying  that  he  would  not  return  to  dinner.  The 
message  was  a  statement  in  its  simplest  form  and  yet 
Dick  felt  that  in  some  subtle  way  it  also  conveyed  a 
reproach.  Dick's  sensitive  nature  responded  to  every 
shifting  shade;  he  was  disappointed  at  not  having  met 
the  girl  with  the  collie,  he  was  depressed  by  the  ab- 
sence of  his  uncle,  and  he  ate  a  cheerless  meal. 

He  tried  to  draw  Higgins  into  conversation,  but 
found  the  butler  too  discreet  to  serve  even  as  the  basis 
for  conversational  recoil.  Higgins  was  one  of  those 
careful  souls,  too  cautious  even  to  possess  tact.  He 
was  utterly  devoid  of  rigidity  and  resiliency;  a  remark 
did  not  rebound  from  him,  it  did  not  pierce  him,  it 
merely  struck  his  outer  covering  of  chronic  anxiety  as 
a  ball  would  strike  a  feather  tick,  to  fall  after  a  moment 
with  a  disheartening  plop. 

It  requires  something  more  than  contrast  to  produce 
perfect  compatibility,  and  Dick  was  so  incensed  with 
the  butler  that  he  would  not  even  ask  for  what  he 
wanted,  but  contented  himself  with  rapping  on  the 
table  for  attention  and  pointing  with  his  finger,  as  he 
was  in  the  habit  of  doing  with  Mulligan.  Dick  was 
social  to  the  extent  of  preferring  a  quarrel  to  solitude, 


ii8  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

but  he  found  the  present  situation  unbearable  and  after 
bolting  his  dinner,  he  hurried  forth  to  feed  the  im- 
patient bulldog. 

He  held  the  plate  aloft  and  Mulligan  sat  gazing  up 
at  it  adoringly  while  the  saliva  dripped  from  his 
mouth.  "That's  the  stuff,  old  sport,"  cried  Dick  en- 
couragingly. "You've  burned  up  enough  fat  to-day 
to  get  a  regular  hunger,  and  it  stimulates  your  entire 
being.  I  truly  admire  your  positive  character,  Mulli- 
gan," continued  Dick  as  he  set  the  plate  on  the  ground 
and  noted  the  zest  with  which  his  pet  proceeded  to 
devour  the  contents,  "and  it  would  be  a  great  thing 
for  the  human  race  if  you  and  that  fool  butler  could 
exchange  souls." 

Dick  had  eaten  without  dressing  and  the  long  sum- 
mer twilight  had  scarcely  begun  to  fall.  He  was  rest- 
less; he  paced  up  and  down  with  his  hands  in  his 
pockets  and  a  frown  on  his  face. 

"You  go  up  to  my  room  and  go  to  sleep,  Mulligan," 
he  said  after  that  individual  had  finished  licking  the 
plate.  "Exercise  after  a  meal  like  that  would  make 
your  heart  pound  like  a  broken  piston — and  I'm  going 
to  take  a  ride." 

Mulligan's  walk  was  slow  and  stately,  his  expression 
,was  reproachful,  but  he  obeyed  the  order,  and  as  Dick 
closed  the  door  after  him,  his  own  face  was  lighted 
with  a  returning  interest. 

"How's  Roland,  Mike?"  he  asked  the  stableman, 
who  had  knocked  the  ashes  from  his  pipe  and  risen  to 
attention  at  his  approach. 

"Smooth  an'  oily,  sir,"  answered  the  man  briskly. 


THE    GIRL   AT   THE   WHEEL         119 

"Throw  the  saddle  on  him  and  fetch  him  out,"  said 
Dick. 

After  a  few  moments  Mike  led  out  a  clean-built 
thoroughbred,  and  Dick  picked  up  his  feet  and  ex- 
amined them  critically.  Afterward  he  backed  off  and 
looked  the  horse  over  carefully,  his  face  finally  show- 
ing approval.  "Begins  to  resemble  a  horse  again, 
Mike,"  admitted  Dick,  and  Mike's  face  beamed. 

Dick  mounted  and  started  off  at  as  near  a  walk  as 
he  could  induce  Roland  to  follow,  while  the  stableman 
stood  gazing  after  them,  nodding  his  head  wisely. 

"As  for  me,"  said  Mike,  filling  his  pipe  mechanically, 
"give  me  one  o'  these  proud  young  bloods  what  knows 
what  they  want.  A  man  ain't  nothin'  but  a  machine 
to  'em,  but  at  least  they  know  whin  the  machine  runs 
roight — an'  thot's  more  thin  some  min  know." 

Dick  trotted  out  of  the  park,  turned  to  the  right,  and 
as  soon  as  Roland  had  warmed  a  little  he  let  him  slip 
into  a  canter.  "Better  than  eating  your  head  off,  eh, 
old  chap?"  he  asked,  patting  the  horse  on  the  neck. 

He  continued  up  the  smooth  road,  which  was  more 
like  a  street,  until  an  ordinary  country  road  forked 
into  it.  He  turned  down  this,  and  by  this  time  all  his 
moodiness  had  been  blown  away  and  he  took  off  his  hat 
and  slapping  Roland  with  it,  exclaimed:  "Chase  it, 
old  boy,  chase  it!" 

The  footing  was  soft  and  tough,  the  horse  was  full 
of  ginger,  and  in  a  second  they  were  flying  along  the 
road  vyith  Dick's  face  beaming  like  that  of  a  cherub 
triumphant.  This  was  something  like  being  back 
home  again.  For  a  few  minutes  he  felt  that  he  could 


120  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

let  the  cares  of  the  universe  slip  from  him  and  drink 
once  more  from  the  bubbling  spring  of  boyhood. 

Suddenly  Roland  shied  to  the  left  and  Dick  in- 
stantly drew  him  down.  As  he  dashed  by  the  object 
which  had  caused  the  horse  to  shy,  he  saw  it  was  a 
collie  dog  playing  with  a  girl,  and  hidden  from  view 
by  a  clump  of  bushes  until  he  was  fully  upon  them. 
As  soon  as  the  horse  was  under  control  Dick  returned 
and  sat  looking  frankly  down  into  the  eyes  of  the  girl. 
There  was  a  glint  of  amusement  in  hers  as  she  raised 
them  to  him.  For  many  generations  the  eyes  of 
women  found  pleasure  in  being  raised  to  those  of 
a  man  on  horseback.  They  have  not  entirely  outgrown 
it. 

"Where  in  the  world  have  you  been  lately?"  asked 
Dick  reprovingly. 

Dimples  appeared  at  the  corners  of  her  mouth.  "I 
have  been  attending  to  my  household  duties,"  she 
answered  demurely. 

"Fudge!"  responded  Dick.  "Don't  you  know  that 
it  will  ruin  a  collie  dog  not  to  give  him  plenty  of  exer- 
cise?" 

"Yes,  sir,"  replied  the  girl.  "That  is  what  I  am 
doing  now." 

"Why  didn't  you  take  him  for  a  walk  in  the  park 
again  to-day?"  asked  Dick. 

"How  do  you  know  I  didn't?"  She  didn't  mean  to 
ask  the  question. 

"Because  I  hunted  the  blooming  park  from  one 
end  to  the  other,"  answered  Dick  honestly,  and  then 
they  both  laughed. 


THE    GIRL   AT   THE   WHEEL         121 

"I  don't  think  I  shall  walk  there  any  more/'  said 
the  girl. 

"I  don't  think  I  shall,  either,"  returned  Dick. 

"Why  won't  you?"  asked  the  girl. 

"You'll  have  to  furnish  the  reason  for  both,"  re- 
sponded Dick.  "I  don't  know  what  it  is." 

"That  is  really  a  worthy  horse,"  she  said  blandly. 
"Your  choice  of  associates  is  showing  a  marked  im- 
provement." 

"Since  having  met  you,"  suggested  Dick. 

The  smile  left  the  girl's  face.  "We  haven't  met  yet, 
you  know,"  she  cautioned. 

"If  it  were  not  such  a  temptation  to  fly,  I  don't 
suppose  you  would  keep  your  wings  clipped  so  close," 
retorted  Dick.  "If  some  detestable  old  bore  whom 
you  can't  abide,  and  whose  judgment  on  the  whole- 
someness  of  a  collie's  drinking-water  you  would  utterly 
disdain,  were  to  tow  me  up  to  you  at  some  crowded  re- 
ception which  was  resting  on  your  soul  like  a  cloud 
of  sulphur  smoke,  and  mumble  my  name  so  that  you 
could  not  catch  a  single  syllable,  I  suppose  you  would 
admit  that  we  had  met,  but  because  you  are  enjoying 
the  outdoors  with  an  intelligent  companion,  and  I 
come  along  also  enjoying  the  outdoors  with  an  intelli- , 
gent  and  thoroughly  reliable  companion,  and  because 
these  two  intelligent  companions  hold  firm  convictions 
upon  certain  topics  and  proceed  to  discuss  them  so 
vehemently  that  we,  ourselves,  are  drawn  into  the 
whirlpool  against  our  intentions,  if  not  even  against 
our  wills,  and  after  the  dogs  have  suspended  their 
argument  temporarily,  and  we  have  discovered  througli 


122  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

the  hearing  and  asking  of  questions  that  we  are  as  con- 
genial as  a  bottle  and  a  glass,  why  you  have — " 

"Of  course  it  is  silly,"  interrupted  the  girl,  who 
had  been  shaking  her  head  negatively  during  this  long 
preamble,  without,  however,  being  able  to  remove 
the  furtive  smile  of  amusement,  "but  it  is  customary, 
and  I  am  sure  that  if  it  is  best  for  us  to  become  ac- 
quainted, we  shall  be  properly  introduced  in  due  time, 
and  it  will  be  just  ever  so  much  more  comfortable." 

Dick  looked  down  thoughtfully.  "I  suppose  that 
women  will  continue  to  ignore  facts  and  jump  at 
hasty  conclusions  until  the  end  of  time,"  he  said  ab- 
stractedly. 

"I  did  not  do  it  this  time,  at  least,"  said  the  girl 
promptly.  "I  have  studied  over  it  all  day." 

Dick  slapped  his  thigh  and  laughed,  and  her  face 
grew  red.  He  was  impertinent  and  provoking,  and  she 
would  brook  no  more  of  him.  Holding  her  head  erect, 
she  turned  to  walk  away. 

"But  listen  a  moment,"  he  said  contritely.  "You  can 
no  more  help  being  feminine  than  I  can  overcome  my 
masculine  tendencies.  Your  intuition  would  tell  you 
that  I  was  scouring  the  park  all  day  in  the  hope  of  see- 
ing you,  and  therefore  it  was  perfectly  fitting  that  you 
should  consider  a  course  of  action  suitable  to  our 
next  meeting.  Now,  I  have  also  had  a  few  thoughts 
on  the  subject,  and  as  long  as  we  have  met,  quite  by 
accident,  let's  argue  the  case  in  a  cold  and  entirely  im- 
personal manner." 

The  horse  had  finally  ceased  pawing  and  swinging, 
the  collie  had  lain  down  with  his  nose  on  his  paws, 


THE    GIRL   AT    THE   WHEEL         123 

the  shadows  had  grown  much  deeper,  the  chirpers, 
the  buzzers,  and  the  twitterers  had  stopped  listening 
and  had  begun  the  noisy  discussion  of  their  own 
affairs:  all  the  nature  people  saw  that  it  was  settled 
that  the  boy  and  the  girl  were  going  to  have  their  talk, 
but  there  was  an  anxious  note  in  the  boy's  voice,  and 
the  expression  on  the  girl's  face  indicated  a  determina- 
tion to  rush  home  the  very  next  moment. 

"My  aunt  is  very  particular  as  to  the  proprieties," 
said  the  girl. 

"She's  just  the  kind  of  a  one  who  would  be,"  said 
Dick  resentfully,  and  then  hastily  added,  "I  mean 
that  this  is  entirely  right  as  a  general  rule,  and  I 
heartily  approve  of  it.  What  I  am  going  to  suggest 
is  the  most  proper  course  possible.  Listen,  the  safest 
acquaintances  are  those  which  begin  in  childhood  by 
the  little  boy  peeking  through  the  back  fence  at  the 
little  girl.  We  can't  turn  the  clock  back  quite  that  far, 
so  let's  do  the  next  best  thing,  let's  just  be  regular 
children  until  we  get  thoroughly  acquainted.  It 
would  be  utterly  stupid  to  cast  back  what  the  gods 
have  given  us,  and  have  some  commonplace  third  per- 
son introduce  us." 

"It  would  be  fun,"  admitted  the  girl,  "but  I  fear 
we  should  be  disappointed.  Such  things  make  lovely 
stories  for  one  to  tell  one's  self  while  one  is  going  to 
sleep,  but  in  real  life — " 

"Do  you  do  that,  too?"  asked  Dick  in  surprise. 
"Guns,  I've  fought  against  that  with  prayer  and  fast- 
ing. I  supposed  it  was  a  form  of  mania  and  bad  for 
the  mind.  The  only  way  I  discovered  to  stop  it  was 


124  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

to  start  a  stiff  debate  on  some  actual  subject,  and  take 
both  sides." 

"I  should  rather  not  have  a  mind  at  all,  than  to  use 
it  that  way,"  said  the  girl  wickedly. 

"Ah,  now  we're  getting  back  to  our  old  cheerful 
level,"  said  Dick  contentedly.  "Do  you  ride  horse- 
back?" 

"I  used  to." 

"Oh,  stop  holding  yourself  back,  and  play  like  a  nice 
little  girl,"  reprimanded  Dick.  "I  know  a  dandy  hol- 
low tree  a  mile  from  here  which  we  can  use  for  a 
post-office." 

"That's  nothing,"  said  the  girl.  "I  know  of  a  splen- 
did big  oak  at  the  exact  corner  where  Mr.  Banning- 
ton's  place  joins  Mr.  Burton's.  There  is  a  hollow,  close 
to  the  ground,  which  one  would  scarcely  notice  by 
accident.  Ever  since  I  discovered  it  I  have  been 
tempted  to  hide  a  note  there  and  see  who  would  find 
it." 

"I  shall  look  there  each  morning,"  vowed  Dick. 

"Only  once  a  day  ?"  asked  the  girl. 

"Always,  I  adjust  myself  to  circumstances,"  he 
replied. 

"And  now  I  must  go  home,"  said  the  girl. 

"How  do  you  happen  to  be  here  on  the  day  we 
desecrate?"  asked  Dick. 

"The  rest  of  the  family  have  gone  to  see  some  fire- 
works destroyed,  and  up  to  two  this  afternoon  I 
expected  to  go  to  another  place  to  see  some  other  fire- 
works destroyed,  and  then  it  suddenly  became  clear 
to  me  that  the  fragrance  of  the  woods  at  twilight  was 


THE   GIRL   AT   THE   WHEEL         125 

more  agreeable  than  burning  saltpeter,  so  I  sent  my 
regrets." 

"Thank  you,"  said  Dick,  and  in  spite  of  her  will, 
and  with  no  reason  whatever,  the  girl  was  mortified 
to  feel  the  color  rush  to  her  cheeks.  It  was  now  quite 
dark  and  she  hoped  that  he  had  not  noticed. 

"I  must  run  along  home,  now,"  she  said.  "See  how 
dark  it  has  grown,  and  you  know  that  little  girls  are 
not  permitted  to  be  out  late." 

"The  Fourth  of  July  is  always  an  exception,"  Dick 
pointed  out  convincingly.  "Let's  talk  about  whole 
lots  of  things,  and  when  you  feel  that  you  must  go 
home,  I'll  go  with  you." 

"I  must  really  go  at  once — and  you  must  really  not 
go  with  me." 

A  heavily  built  man  with  grimy  face  and  wearing 
rough  clothing  slouched  by.  Dick  eyed  him  narrowly ; 
he  measured  his  height,  breadth  and  reach.  He  felt 
that  he  could  master  him  and  was  a  little  sorry  that 
it  was  not  necessary  to  make  the  attempt.  It  did  not 
occur  to  him  that  this  might  be  an  honest  working-man, 
or  even  a  member  of  that  noble  army  of  the  unem- 
ployed, so  dear  to  him. 

"It  would  not  be  safe  for  you  to  go  home  alone  at 
this  hour,"  he  said. 

For  answer  the  girl  pointed  to  the  collie  which  had 
promptly  risen  and  was  pressing  against  her  knee, 
looking  sharply  at  the  retreating  form  of  the 
stranger. 

"May  I  not  even  ride  after  you  at  a  distance?" 

"You  must  start  first,  and  go  in  the  direction  from 


126  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

which  you  came — and  you  must  start  at  once,  and  not 
look  back." 

Dick  bowed  low  with  his  hand  covering  his  heart, 
tightened  his  reins,  and  rode  away  into  the  darkness. 
Roland  was  disgusted  at  having  had  the  ride  which 
had  opened  so  promisingly,  come  to  such  a  dull  ending, 
and  he  retraced  his  steps  soberly. 

The  girl  stood  in  the  shadow  of  the  clump  of  bushes 
watching  him.  Her  eyes  were  shining  and  a  cheerful 
stimulation  possessed  her.  After  all  there  were  still 
some  flowers  of  true  romance  growing  outside  her 
day-dreams,  and  the  kindly  old  earth  was  not  nearly 
so  cold  and  precise  as  she  pretended  to  be.  "Come, 
Bayard,"  she  said.  "I  told  you  that  this  was  going 
to  be  a  perfectly  splendid  Fourth  of  July,  but  now  we 
must  go  home."  And  in  spite  of  his  own  ideas  on  a 
perfectly  splendid  Fourth  of  July,  the  dog  took  his 
position  on  the  right  side  of  his  mistress,  and  they 
traversed  the  quiet  country  road  which,  all  unkno\y- 
ingly,  wound  by  Camelot  and  Arden  and  divers  other 
fair  spots  not  usually  found  on  the  maps  of  New 
Jersey. 

As  for  Dick,  he  rode  along  humming  a  medley  of 
love  songs,  and  speaking  confidentially  to  Roland  from 
time  to  time,  utterly  unconscious  of  the  latter 's  sulky 
disapproval  of  the  evening's  jaunt.  Dick  was,  in 
reality,  holding  a  religious  service,  which  demands 
concentration  and  exclusion.  He  was  offering  praise 
to  the  giver  of  good,  clean,  healthy  youth,  and,  without 
attempting  to  put  it  into  words,  returning  thanks  for 
the  starlight  and  darkness,  and  appetites  and  desires, 


THE    GIRL   AT    THE   WHEEL         127 

and  many  other  things  which  his  formal  philosophy 
classed  among  the  constant  and  invariable  blessings. 
He  had  forgotten  all  unpleasant  things,  including  that 
extremely  unpleasant  question,  when  once  it  has  taken 
hold  of  a  man — the  fate  of  the  proletariat. 


CHAPTER  XII 

A  SICK  UNCLE  AND  A  SPITE  FENCE 

DURING  the  next  few  days  Bannington  Park  was 
the  storm  center  of  many  emotions.  Dick  was 
almost  overworked  in  the  attempt  to  give  Mulligan 
and  Roland  sufficient  exercise,  his  uncle  began  to  suf- 
fer from  acute  twinges  of  rheumatism,  and  their  even- 
ing discussions  were  of  the  kind  which  heat  without 
convincing.  Ivan  chafed  at  what  he  considered  sin- 
ful inaction,  Emil  read,  ate  and  smoked  with  philo- 
sophical content,  and  Lorrain  spent  most  of  his  time 
away  from  the  house. 

On  the  evening  of  the  eighth  of  July,  Dick  and  his 
uncle  had  an  unusually  personal  discussion,  and  the 
next  morning  Dick  left  before  breakfast,  saying  merely 
that  he  would  be  back  on  the  thirteenth  or  before  it. 
Ivan  hoped  that  this  indicated  the  opening  of  their  ac- 
tual campaign,  and  rejoiced  accordingly,  but  Lorrain 
smiled  derisively,  and  even  Emil  merely  closed  his 
eyes  and  blew  a  huge  ring  of  smoke.  Bannington  came 
home  early  that  evening,  growling  about  the  rheuma- 
tism in  his  foot,  and  the  next  morning  he  started  to 
build  the  high  board  fence,  just  inside  the  hedge  on 
the  boundary  between  his  own  place  and  Burton's. 

The  old  man  could  not  resist  the  impulse  to  browbeat 
Ivan,  but  appeared  to  enjoy  Emil's  society.  The 

128 


A    SPITE   FENCE  129 

stolid  German  lived  in  the  shadow  of  a  serenity  so 
great  that  Bannington's  fiercest  outbursts  failed  to  pen- 
etrate it.  Always  Emil  would  reply  candidly  and 
calmly,  and  his  materialism  was  so  solid  that  at  times 
it  aroused  the  respect  which  Bannington  generally  re- 
served for  practical  things.  Lorrain  made  two  insidious 
attempts  to  pacify  the  old  gentleman,  but  receiving 
rather  curt  responses,  he  withdrew  to  more  agreeable 
society.  To  say  the  least,  it  was  a  discordant  as- 
sembly which  had  gathered  at  the  comfortable  old 
house  in  beautiful  Bannington  Park. 

When  Mr.  Burton  saw  preparations  for  building  the 
fence,  he  immediately  served  notice  that  if  it  were  not 
stopped  at  once,  he  would  get  out  an  injunction.  Rich- 
ard Bannington  read  the  notice  and  grinned,  but  gave 
orders  to  have  the  part  of  the  fence  already  erected 
torn  down  and  the  post  holes  filled  up. 

This  was  on  the  eleventh  of  July.  On  the  twelfth, 
an  army  of  men  arrived  soon  after  Mr.  Burton  had 
left  for  his  New  York  office,  and  the  fence  was  fin- 
ished within  two  hours.  Bannington's  foot  had  become 
so  painful  that  he  had  taken  to  a  chair,  but  when  the 
news  was  brought  he  chuckled,  slapped  his  thigh,  and, 
taking  one  thing  with  another,  he  quite  successfully 
displayed  a  primitive  joy  in  a  truly  primitive  manner. 
He  immediately  gave  strict  orders  to  the  two  men 
whom  he  had  retained  as  keepers,  and  settled  him- 
self in  his  easy  chair,  hoping  that  Burton  would  act  as 
the  counter-irritant  to  his  swollen  foot. 

As  nothing  occurred  the  next  morning  to  take  his 
mind  off  himself,  Bannington  decided  to  have  Gladys, 


130  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

the  maid,  read  to  him.  Emil  had  suggested  the  project, 
by  himself  volunteering,  but  as  each  paragraph  had 
given  rise  to  a  protracted  discussion,  Bannington  had 
emphatically  refused  a  repetition  of  the  experiment, 
and  was  now  trying  to  adjust  Gladys  to  his  own  ideas 
of  a  reader.  Gladys  had  entered  on  her  new  task  at 
ten  o'clock.  It  had  promised  novelty  and  she  had  wel- 
comed it,  but  soon_ discovered  that  it  was  a  labor  which 
called  for  fortitude  rather  than  enthusiasm,  and  her 
temper  rose  as  her  spirits  fell  until  at  three  o'clock 
she  had  reached  the  point  where  even  womanly  patience 
ceased  to  be  a  virtue. 

"There — that  will  do  of  that  stuff!"  shouted  Dick's 
uncle.  "I  don't  want  to  go  crazy."  They  were  seated 
in  his  office  which  was  in  the  west  wing. 

The  maid  looked  at  him  indignantly  while  her  lips 
worked  and  her  fingers  opened  and  closed  vindictively, 
but  she  managed  to  control  herself  and  ask:  "Shall 
I  try  something  else  ?" 

"No,  for  Heaven's  sake,  no!  You've  been  trying 
something  else  for  the  last  century — seems  like.  You 
started  with  utter  rot  and  everything  you've  tried  since 
has  been  ten  times  worse  than  the  one  before  it.  Now, 
I'm  done.  If  I'm  going  to  die  in  this  chair,  I'm  going 
to  die  in  peace — or  at  least  in  quiet." 

"Well,  I'm  sure  I  can't  help  it,"  retorted  Gladys  with 
equal  vigor.  "I've  tried  everything.  I  started  out  with 
those  pamphlets  of  Mr.  Dick,  and  I'm  sure  they're 
instructive;  then  I  wanted  to  read  the  Bible,  and  I'm 
sure  that  would  have  done  you  good ;  and  next  I  tried 
three  new  novels,  but — " 


rA    SPITE   FENCE  131 

"Novels !"  cried  Mr.  Bannington.  "Any  account  of 
an  unfortunate  fool  and  an  idiotic  but  beautiful  female 
is  called  a  novel.  Do  I  look  like  a  man  who  would 
pine  for  novels?" 

"You  made  me  read  to  you.  You —  Goodness 
gracious,  I  hope  you  don't  imagine  that  any  one  would 
fight  for  the  privilege  of  reading  to  you!  You  have 
thrown  three  books  into  the  scrap-basket  and  one  at  me, 
and  I  have  stood  all  I  can  stand,  and  now — " 

"Stop  it !"  cried  Bannington,  starting  up,  but  sinking 
back  and  clasping  his  foot.  "Oh,  ooh,  ouch — ooh! 
Hang  the  luck!" 

"That's  it,  swear,"  commented  the  maid,  who  had 
reached  the  point  where  defiance  was  no  longer  a 
luxury,  but  an  actual  necessity. 

"I  did  not— I  said  'hang.'  " 

"Well,  you  meant  the  other,  and  you've  already 
said  it  so  often  that  I  hardly  notice  it  any  more.  You're 
a  wicked  old  man !  We  have  all  done  our  best  for  you, 
but  we  get  nothing  in  return  but  threats  and  vile  names. 
All  you  can  do  is  to  discharge  me  and  before  I  go,  I 
am  going  to  have  my  say." 

Bannington  attempted  to  interrupt  her,  but  Gladys 
had  become  almost  hysterical,  and  her  voice  rose  to  a 
triumphant  shriek.  "I  tell  you  I  am  going  to  have  my 
say.  What  do  you  think  you  are — a  Chinese  Man- 
darin? You  swell  yourself  up  with  pride  and  think 
that  the  entire  world  is  for  you,  just  because  you  are 
worth  millions  and  millions  of  dollars,  but  I  tell  you 
that  you  add  nothing  to  the  joy  of  life,  but  only  to 
its  sorrow.  You  never  bring  a  smile,  but  only  a  tear; 


132  THE    STEERING   WHEEL1 

and  you  add  your  weight  to  the  already  stifling  load 
of  suffering  humanity.    You  think — " 

Bannington  could  stand  no  more :  he  raised  himself 
on  his  left  elbow  and  grasped  a  medicine  bottle  with  his 
right  hand.  "I'll  have  your  life,"  ne  roared,  "I'll 
have  your  life!  Confound  you,  I  have  sat  still  while 
you  have  blackened  my  dying  hours,  but  if  you  say 
another  word  about  suffering  humanity,  I'll  get  up 
and  brain  you.  Ain't  I  a  part  of  humanity  ?  Haven't 
my  own  sufferings  any  rights  at  all?  You  inhuman 
vampire — if  you  don't  get  out  of  here  at  once — 
He  assumed  a  still  more  threatening  attitude  and 
the  maid  started  for  the  door.  "You  keep  out  of 
here  in  the  future,  you  understand — and  send  that 
fool  butler  in  at  once." 

The  maid  slammed  the  door  and  her  irate  master 
sank  back  in  the  chair,  where  he  rested  for  a  moment, 
panting.  "I  believe  that  little  excitement  has  done  me 
good,"  he  said  with  a  grim  grin.  "I've  always  main- 
tained that  good  health  depended  on  nothing  but  good 
circulation,  and  nothing  makes  my  blood  circulate  like 
a  good  scrap." 

He  closed  his  eyes  and  leaned  his  head  back  for  pos- 
sibly thirty  seconds,  and  then  his  eyes  snapped  open 
and  he  pounded  his  bell  vigorously.  "Where  is  that 
fool  butler?  Higgins — Higgins!  I'll  twist  his  neck 
when  he  does  come." 

The  door  opened  and  the  butler  entered  decorously. 
Bannington  glared  at  him.  "Where  have  you  been  ?" 

"Why,  sir,"  began  Higgins,  "Mr.  Dick—" 


'If  you  say  another  word  about  suffering  humanity.  I'll  brain  you" 


A    SPITE    FENCE  133 

"I  have  told  you  fifty  times  that  I  am  boss  of  this 
house,  not  Mr.  Dick." 

"I  know  that,  sir.  It  would  be  'ard  for  any  one 
to  boss  Mr.  Dick;  but  what  I  started — " 

"You  infernal  idiot!  You  knew  exactly  what  I 
meant.  I  meant  that  I  am  the  boss ;  Mr.  Dick  is  not. 
He  is  a  hare-brained  idiot!  Do  you  intend  to  take 
orders  from  me  in  the  future,  or  from  a  hare-brained 
idiot?" 

"Yes,  sir;  certainly,  sir." 

"What?     What  do  you  mean?" 

"I — I  'ardly  know,  sir,"  stammered  Higgins. 

"Then  what  the  devil  do  you  mean  by  trying  to  tell 
me  something,  when  you  don't  know  it  yourself?" 

"I — I ;  yes,  sir.     No,  sir — "  faltered'  Higgins. 

"Oh,  dry  up!  You  make  me  so  nervous  that  I  can 
hardly  see,  and  the  doctor  said  I  must  have  absolute 
quiet.  Now,  take  three  deep  breaths  and  tell  me  why 
you  did  not  come  at  once." 

"Well,  sir,  Mr.  Di — he  had  some  persons  to  lunch- 
eon, and  they — " 

"Who  did?" 

"Mr.  Dick,  sir,"  apologized  Higgins. 

"The  scoundrel!    What  kind  of  persons?" 

"Why,  some  of  them  looked  respectable,  sir,  but 
some  of  them  looked  like  tramps,  an'  they  talked  'orrid 
wicked  about  the  rich.  I  was — " 

"What!  Tramps  eating  in  my  house?  What  in 
thunder  do  you  mean  by  leaving  them  alone  with  the 
silver?  Get  out  of  here  and  order  them  out  of  the 


134  THE    STEERING   WHEEL' 

house,  and  send  my  nephew  here  at  once !  Well,  what 
are  you  staring  at?  Hurry  up." 

"Oh,  I'll  get  apoplexy,"  moaned  Bannington  after 
Higgins  had  left  the  room.  "Why  in  thunder  did  I 
have  to  have  this  fool  rheumatic-gout  just  at  this  time  ? 
This  is  the  last  time  I  let  Thompson  doctor  me.  Rheu- 
matic-gout? If  my  grandfather  had  been  a  wealthy 
man,  it  would  be  just  plain  gout !  But  plain  gout's  too 
infernally  refined  for  a  self-made  man.  Well,  it  can't 
hurt  any  worse — and  that's  some  satisfaction." 

Dick  entered  without  visible  signs  of  uneasiness, 
and,  after  vainly  striving  to  make  his  eyes  shift,  his 
uncle  demanded :  "What  do  you  mean  by  having  a  lot 
of  tramps  here?" 

Dick  had  merely  heard  that  the  old  man  was  suf- 
fering from  an  ancient  and  painful  enemy,  but  this 
appeared  to  be  delirium.  His  conscience  smote  him 
for  having  ignored  him  so  long  and  he  said  soothingly : 
"There,  there,  Uncle ;  there  are  no  tramps  here.  Just 
let  me—" 

"Here?  Of  course  they're  not  here!  Now,  don't 
you  dare  to  think  that  I'm  out  of  my  head.  I'm  as 
sane  as  I  ever  was  in  my  life — though  the  Lord  only 
knows  how  I  keep  so.  I  mean  the  gang  you  have  in 
the  dining-room." 

"Great  Scott,  Uncle,  those  are  not  tramps.  Those 
are  a  few  of  the  leading  socialists,  and  prominent 
union  men  whom  I  invited  to  discuss  matters  with 
a  couple  of  interesting  members  of  the  great  army  of 
the  unemployed." 

"Leading  socialists;  prominent  union  men;  inter- 


A    SPITE    FENCE  135 

esting  members  of  the  great  army  of  unemployed!" 
repeated  the  uncle.  "What  is  the  reason  there  are  no 
celebrated  safe-blowers,  conspicuous  cutthroats,  and 
illustrious  street-cleaners  here  to  do  honor  to  our 
humble  board  ?  Now  you  fire  them  out  of  this  house 
this  very  instant,  do  you  hear?" 

"I  certainly  do,"  answered  Dick  calmly.  "There  is 
no  doubt  but  that  you  have  your  full  share  of  imper- 
fections, but  a  feeble  and  indistinct  voice  is  not  one 
of  them.  I  shall  not  fire  them  out  of  this  house  this 
instant,  or  any  other  instant.  I  invited  them  here." 

"Do  you  know  who  I  am?" 

"Only  by  hearsay,"  replied  Dick  with  unshaken 
calmness.  "The  general  impression  is  that  you  have 
the  honor  of  being  my  uncle." 

"Honor — yes,  it  is  indeed  an  honor.  You  are  about 
as  useless  a  creature  as  I  ever  met.  But  what  I  want 
you  to  understand  is,  that  I  am  still  the  head  of  this 
house  and  intend  to  remain  so." 

Bannington's  voice  had  lost  its  childish  petulancy  and 
had  fallen  to  the  colder  tones  which  in  themselves 
indicated  something  of  menace. 

"The  ten  days  are  not  quite  up,"  replied  Dick,  his 
voice  in  turn  losing  its  taunting  undertone  and  indi- 
cating deliberate  determination.  "I  enjoy  the  freedom 
and  privileges  of  my  paternal  roof  a  few  hours  longer, 
and  one  of  these  privileges  is  inviting  my  friends  to 
call  on  me  and  entertaining  them  decently  when  they 
come.  Now,  you  need  not  alarm  yourself.  They  were 
on  the  point  of  leaving  when  Higgins  told  me  you 
wished  to  speak  to  me,  and  as  it  was  necessary  for  some 


of  them  to  catch  the  four  o'clock  train,  they  have  un- 
doubtedly left  by  this  time.  Furthermore,  in  order 
to  put  your  mind  entirely  at  ease,  I  shall  take  this  oc- 
casion to  inform  you  that  I,  also,  intend  to  leave  to- 
night." 

Always  their  quarrels  followed  the  same  circle :  they 
irritated  each  other  until  the  underlying  sturdiness 
of  their  natures  became  exposed;  then  each  found 
something  to  respect  in  the  other,  and  the  old,  famil- 
iar call  of  the  blood  cried  out  against  breaking  the  ties 
which  bound  them  together.  Now,  they  maintained 
a  somewhat  awkward  silence  for  a  few  moments,  and 
then  Bannington  said  softly :  "Don't  do  it,  boy.  Your 
place  is  at  the  plant.  I  don't  expect  much  of  you  at 
first,  but  I  want  you  with  me — I  want  some  one  I 
can  talk  to.  I'm  lonely,  Dick,  and  that's  gospel  truth." 

"You  needn't  think,  Uncle,  that  it's  going  to  be  easy 
for  me  to  turn  my  back  on  the  old  ways  entirely,  but 
I  simply  can't  stand  it  to  be  run  over,  the  way  you  try 
to  run  over  every  one." 

"At  least,  I  have  never  tried  to  run  over  you,  Dick," 
argued  the  old  man  a  little  reproachfully.  "Why,  you 
carry  on  like  an  insane  person,  but  I  just  meekly  let 
you  go  your  own  gait." 

"You  are,  indeed,  the  meek  one,"  rejoined  Dick, 
smiling  but  unshaken.  "Here  I  asked  you  not  to  put  up 
that  idiotic  fence,  but  what  effect  did  it  have?  I  go 
away  for  a  few  days,  and  when  I  return  I  find  a  fright- 
ful barricade  with  spikes  on  top  and  a  couple  of  Hun- 
garian outlaws  on  guard.  That  would  settle  it  with 
me,  even  if  it  had  not  been  settled  already." 


A    SPITE   FENCE  137 

"I  don't  intend  to  provide  promenade  grounds  for 
the  Burtons,"  replied  Bannington  with  emphasis. 

"Puts  me  in  a  nice  box,  doesn't  it?"  pointed  out 
Dick.  "To  live  in  a  yard  too  sacred  for  our  nearest 
neighbors  to  look  into,  and  yet  to  preach  a  universal 
brotherhood — " 

"Stop  it,  stop  it,  I  say !"  cried  Bannington,  flaring  up 
again.  "Confound  it,  I  won't  sit  here  and  permit  any 
living  creature  to  beat  me  over  the  head  with  that 
word.  Now,  Dick,  I  don't  want  to  rile  you  up, 
but  you  ought  to  use  a  little  discretion.  The  truth 
about  you,  Dick,  is  that  you  have  a  good  heart,  but 
a  fool  head." 

"A  head  is  nothing  but  a  machine — a  man's  heart  is 
what  counts.  Your  own  heart  is  becoming  ossified; 
then  what  use  is  your  head — good  though  it  is — to  the 
human  race?" 

Bannington  exploded.  "The  human  race  be — well, 
no,  not  quite  that,  but  for  Heaven's  sake,  Dick,  keep 
it  out  of  your  talk  until  we  can  come  to  a  sensible 
understanding.  I  don't  want  you  to  leave.  You  know, 
boy,  that  you  have  always  found  a  hearty  welcome 
here." 

"Not  this  last  time,"  answered  Dick  a  little  stiffly. 
"You  treated  me  outrageously  this  last  time.  After 
wandering  around  the  entire  globe,  I  came  back  like 
the  prodigal  son — " 

"Prodigal  hell !"  exclaimed  the  old  man.  "You  came 
back  like  the  fatted  calf.  The  three  tramps  who  are 
fleecing  you  are  more  like  the  prodigal  son.  They 
are  simply  working  you,  Dick — " 


138  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

"That  will  do,"  interrupted  Dick  decisively.  "I  am 
willing  for  you  to  revile  me,  but  I  refuse  to  listen 
when  you  insult  my  guests." 

"Oh,  never  mind  them,"  said  his  uncle  largely,  "I'll 
give  them  jobs,  too,  the  very  moment  you  are  willing 
to  go  to  work.  I  tell  you,  Dick,  that  a  year  at  hard 
work  would  give  you  a  truer  view  of  life  than  seven 
centuries  spent  in  sitting  down  and  studying  over  it. 
We  are  after  a  big  government  contract  now — no- 
body can  handle  it  except  Burton  or  us — and  it  will 
give  us  a  work-out.  I  have  it  about  figured  down  to 
the  roots,  for  we  have  to  have  it.  Our  credit  is  be- 
ginning to  limp  a  little,  and  getting  this  contract  means 
that  we'll  be  able  to  make  the  grade;  while  losing 
means  that  we  never  can  get  over  it — that  the  Ban- 
nington  Steel  Plant  is  whipped,  once  and  for  all." 

"What  good  will  it  clo  if  you  have  it  figured  down 
to  the  roots  ?"  asked  Dick,  sincerely  interested. 

"Well,  now,  Dick,"  replied  the  old  man  with  a  dry 
wink,  "there  is  always  a  little  something  in  the  roots 
• — but  the  main  thing  is  that  it  will  bolster  up  our  credit. 
I'd  give  a  hundred  thousand  dollars  to  know  exactly 
what  Burton's  bid  will  be — and  you  might  have  found 
out,  too." 

"How  in  the  world  could  I  have  found  out?" 

"By  marrying  his  daughter." 

"I'll  never  marry  her,"  answrered  Dick  shortly. 
"But  if  I  were  already  married  to  her,  I  don't  see 
what  good  it  would  do.  She  wouldn't  know  anything 
about  the  contract,  and  it  wouldn't  be  fair  sport  for 
her  to  tell  if  she  did." 


A    SPITE   FENCE  139 

"Fair  sport,"  grinned  the  old  man.  "You'll  find  out 
quick  enough  that  the  steel  business  isn't  played  like 
foot-ball — that  is,  not  the  way  you  played  foot-ball. 
I'd  find  out  if  I  could.  Burton  would  find  out  my 
bid  if  he  could  and  we  both  know  it." 

"I  am  sorry,  Uncle,  but  the  more  I  learn  of  business, ' 
the  more  I  dislike  it." 

"And  the  more  I  know  of  you  the  more  hopeless  I 
become.  You  act  like  some  overgrown  boy  with  his 
pockets  full  of  money.  Do  you  know  what  your  in- 
come will  be  if  you  cut  loose  from  me?" 

"I  don't  suppose  it  will  be  anything — until  I  earn 
one  for  myself,"  answered  Dick  confidently. 

"You'd  starve  to  death  long  before  that,"  scoffed 
Bannington.  "You  have  an  income  of  exactly  nine  hun- 
dred dollars  from  your  mother — and  that's  all  you 
will  have." 

"My  poor  little  mother,"  said  Dick  softly.  "I  can't 
even  remember  her — and  did  she  leave  me  an  income?" 

"You  can  call  it  an  income  if  you  want  to,"  said 
the  old  man,  incensed  that  Dick  had  not  received  the 
news  as  a  blow,  "but  a  heap  of  good  it  would  do  you. 
Nine  hundred  dollars !  Why,  you  can't  scrimp  along  on 
that  for  a  month  without  practising  the  strictest  econ- 
omy. And  you  have  the  nerve  to  tell  me  that  you 
are  going  to  live  on  a  measly,  underfed  stipend  of 
nine  hundred — " 

Dick  put  his  hand  gently  on  his  uncle's  arm.  "Never 
mind  finishing,  Uncle,"  he  said  softly.  "I  remember 
it  all  now.  This  little  income  of  nine  hundred  a  year 
was  the  fortune  my  mother  brought  my  father — and 


I4o  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

it  was  a  fortune  to  him  then.  It  doesn't  sound  very 
large  to-day,  but  it  was  the  start  of  the  Bannington 
Steel  Plant — and  neither  of  us  can  afford  to  sneer 
at  it." 

A  half -shamed  expression  came  to  Bannington's 
face,  but  he  hardened  instantly.  "There  was  something 
back  of  it  when  it  started  the  plant,"  he  said;  "brains 
and  industry,  and  hard  common  sense." 

"And  I  believe  that  I  can  take  it  and  start  some- 
thing else,"  began  Dick,  holding  himself  erect,  but 
speaking  in  low,  even  tones.  "Something  which  will 
not  turn  me  into  a  machine,  but  will  keep  me — 

"Then  go — I've  done  all  I  can,  and  now  I'm  through 
with  you."  His  uncle's  voice  was  implacable. 

"All  right,"  replied  Dick,  refusing  to  be  ruffled.  "I 
am  going  to  take  a  walk  about  the  grounds,  now.  I 
have  sent  my  stuff  down  to  my  new  quarters;  but  I 
don't  want  to  leave  as  though  we  had  been  quarreling 
and  I'll  stop  in  and  say  good-by  to  you  before  I  go — if 
I  miss  you  at  dinner." 

Dick  started  toward  the  door,  stopped  and  looked  at 
his  uncle  who  sat  with  his  brows  drawn  together  in 
pain,  rather  than  anger.  For  a  moment  the  boy  hesi- 
tated, and  then,  with  a  shrug,  he  turned  the  knob  and 
stepped  into  the  passageway. 

For  a  full  minute  the  old  man's  eyes  remained 
sternly  on  the  door  which  had  closed  behind  his 
nephew,  and  then  he  drew  his  hand  wearily  across  his 
forehead. 

"I  can't  see  what  possesses  the  boy,"  he  muttered. 
"Here  I  have  given  him  the  best  years  of  my  life,  and 


A    SPITE   FENCE  141 

am  willing  to  throw  in  the  rest  of  it.  I  think  of  nothing 
but  his  welfare ;  and  yet  he  never  loses  a  chance  to  defy 
me.  Well,  let  him,"  he  continued  gruffly  after  a  pause. 
"Hang  it,  I  haven't  reached  the  stage  yet  where  I'm 
going  to  let  infants  dictate  to  me.  Confound  the  three 
loafers  who  led  him  astray!" 


CHAPTER  XIII 

EMIL  TAKES  UNCLE  RICHARD  A  SPIN 

ICHARD  BANNINGTON  sat  brooding  over  the 
splendid  career  which  his  nephew  might  have  en- 
joyed if  he  had  put  him  to  work  as  soon  as  his  college 
days  were  over  instead  of  permitting  him  to  fall  into 
the  clutches  of  the  three  undesirables  with  whom  he 
had  returned,  until  a  knock  at  the  door  aroused  him. 

"Come  in,"  he  growled. 

Emil  and  Ivan  entered,  bent  on  exemplifying  the 
reciprocity  of  hospitality  by  comforting  their  host  in 
his  hour  of  affliction. 

"Ah,  Mr.  Bannington,"  said  Emil  blandly,  "we  have 
been  enjoying  a  most  delightful — " 

"I  don't  doubt  it,"  snapped  Bannington.  "I  don't 
doubt  it  in  the  least !  You  are  exactly  the  kind  who  de- 
vote most  of  their  lives  to  enjoying  the  most  delightful 
things — at  the  expense  of  some  one  else." 

"Well,  really  if  you  feel- — "  began  Emil,  but  Ban- 
nington again  interrupted  him. 

"Never  you  mind  how  I  feel,  I'm  still  able  to  know 
what  I  think.  Did  you  ever  stop  to  consider  your  true 
positions :  you  come  over  here  to  reform  this  country 
• — the  United  States  of  America !  Where  did  you  come 
from?  You  are  a  natural  born  German  and  you,  a 
natural  born  Russian ;  and  you  were  both  chased  out  of 

142 


EMIL   TAKES    UNCLE   A    SPIN        143 

your  own  countries  into  France,  which  isn't  a  country 
at  all  but  a  hot  house  where  they  spend  their  time  rais- 
ing things  contrary  to  the  laws  of  nature.  I  don't  care 
what  it  is — religion,  clothing,  morals,  politics,  any- 
thing at  all ;  once  it  goes  through  Paris  it  comes  forth 
twisted  and  pulled  and — " 

"One  moment,  my  dear  sir,"  interrupted  Emil.  "In 
a  measure  you  are  right ;  but  you  too  hasty  at  conclu- 
sions jump.  In  Paris  there  are  three  hundred  and 
thirty-one  distinct  religious  divisions,  nine  political  par- 
ties, each  one  many  times  subdivided,  one  hundred  and 
seven  philosophical  societies,  four  hundred  and  nine- 
teen—" 

"Well,  good  heavens,  what  do  I  care?"  exclaimed 
Bannington.  "I  don't  own  Paris,  and  I  don't  want  to 
buy  it.  The  worst  I  have  against  it  is  that  it  brought  you 
and  my  fool  nephew  together.  You  are  in  a  big  busi- 
ness to  spoil  that  boy's  entire  life." 

"No,  not  so!"  said  Ivan  with  fervor.  "We  have 
not  spoiled  his  life,  we  shall  not  spoil  his  life.  Now,  do 
we  give  him  the  great  opportunity  of  offering  up  his 
life  in  the  cause  of  Br — " 

Bannington  clutched  the  arms  of  his  chair  and  raised 
himself.  "Don't  you  dare  to  say  a  word  about  brotherly 
love  or  suffering  humanity.  I'm  not  so  defenseless  as 
I  appear,  and  hang  it,  I  won't  stand  it !" 

"I  do  not  wish  to  offend  you,"  answered  Ivan  with 
simple  earnestness.  "I  do  not  wish  to  offend  any  one. 
We  never  feel  hatred  for  individuals,  we  never  fight 
individuals ;  but  always  we  oppose  the  system — the  sys- 
tem under  which  both  the  millionaire  and  the  tramp 


144  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

are  inevitable.  In  this  fight  I  am  rejoiced  to  give  up 
my  life." 

Ivan  paused  with  a  look  of  high  devotion  on  his 
face,  and  Bannington  eyed  him  curiously  before  he  re- 
plied in  a  more  subdued  tone :  "Yes,  you  are  exactly  the 
kind  of  man  who  is  always  willing  to  die  for  a  cause — 
and  nine  times  out  of  ten,  that  is  the  very  best  work  he 
can  do  for  it  Now  I  say  this  in  kindness.  You  live  too 
high  in  the  air.  Your  ideals  are  all  right  as  ideals ;  but, 
hang  it,  you  can't  live  up  to  an  ideal.  You  can  only  live 
toward  one  in  a  conservative  and  practical  way.  Your 
kind  of  man  wants  to  go  from  the  ox-cart  to  the  air- 
ship in  one  step.  The  safest  plan  is  to  develop  the  steam 
car  and  gasolene  motor  first." 

"You  are  right,"  chimed  in  Emil.  "The  keynote  of 
all  things  is  evolution.  Starting  from  the  single  cell,  we 
find—" 

"Now,  you  must  excuse  me,"  said  Bannington  who 
was  surprised  to  find  himself  getting  into  a  fairly  good 
humor,  "but  I  never  could  stand  it  to  have  evolution 
reduced  to  fractions — just  at  this  moment.  I  can  see 
your  side  of  the  question,  and  it  is  all  right — for  you. 
If  you  two  want  to  go  about  preaching  and  hurling 
figures  at  people,  I  won't  do  anything  to  stop  it.  No, 
indeed,  I'll  even  go  further  and  supply  the  funds.  All 
I  ask  is,  that  you  leave  my  nephew  free  to  do  his  duty 
in  that  station  of  life  into  which  it  has  pleased  God  to 
call  him." 

The  old  man's  voice  had  grown  solemn,  and  Ivan's 
voice  vibrated  with  feeling  as  he  answered:  "I  love 
your  nephew  more  than  if  he  was  my  own  brother.  I 


EMIL   TAKES    UNCLE   A    SPIN        145 

would  never  do  one  thing  to  spoil  his  life;  and  I  am 
willing  to  give  up  my  own  to  bring  him  happiness ;  but 
this  cause  seems  the  grandest  thing  in  life  to  me — it 
does — it  seems  the  grandest  thing  in  life." 

"You're  honest,  I  admit  that,"  rejoined  Bannington, 
returning  the  tense  gaze  of  the  zealous  Russian;  "but 
you  carry  too  much  sail  for  your  ballast.  Still,  I'm  go- 
ing to  treat  you  just  as  if  you  had  good  common  sense ; 
and  this  is  the  proposition :  would  it  be  better  for  your 
cause  to  have  a  foe  or  a  friend,  at  the  head  of  the  Ban- 
nington Steel  Plant  with  its  heavy  pay-roll?" 

The  old  man  spoke  slowly  and  when  he  had  finished, 
Ivan  put  his  hand  to  his  chin  and  fixed  his  eyes  on  the« 
ceiling  in  silent  meditation.  Bannington  eagerly  watched 
the  mental  battle  which  the  Russian  was  undergoing; 
but  Emil  could  not  resist  an  opportunity  to  convert  the 
gold  of  silence  into  the  less  precious  metal  of  speech. 

"It  is  estimated,"  he  said  impersonally,  "that  during 
the  next  decade,  the  world  will  sixty  million  tons  of 
iron  per  annum  consume.  This  means  about  one  hun- 
dred eighty  million  tons  of  ore,  as  ore  which  does  not 
yield  more  than  twenty  per  cent,  is  not  considered  of  a 
profitable  richness  to  work.  Now  in  Sweden — " 

"Write  the  rest  of  it  on  paper,  and  let  the  man 
think,"  broke  in  Bannington  testily. 

"It  is  a  big  question — I  can  not  answer  it  offhand," 
said  Ivan.  He  stood  for  a  moment,  thinking  deeply. 
Then,  like  one  in  a  dream,  he  slowly  turned  and  walked 
from  the  room. 

"A  strange  man,"  commented  Emil. 

"I  believe  he  is  honest." 


i46  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

"Yes,  even  is  he  as  strange  as  that." 

"But  he  lives  too  much  in  the  clouds." 

"For  a  priest  was  he  intended,"  said  Emil.  "He 
would  be  the  kind  of  priest  that  had  so  much  religion 
to  attend  to  that  he  could  scarcely  time  to  learn  his 
own  theology  find.  Some  such  there  are  even  yet.  Do 
you  realize  that  Ivan  still  believes  that  if  a  majority  of 
people  could  be  convinced  that  a  thing  was  right,  they 
would  themselves  make  it  so  ?  He  like  a  little  child  is. 
I  have,  myself,  seen  him  pray." 

Bannington  looked  at  the  calm,  gentle  face  of  his 
visitor  critically.  "Have  you  no  religion  of  your  own  ?" 
he  asked. 

"What,  me?"  exclaimed  Emil.  "How  could  that  be? 
I  have  passed  through  philosophy  to  science.  Religion 
comes  first.  Religion  is  of  fear  and  ignorance.  At  first 
all  was  religion:  thunder  was  the  voice  of  an  angry 
god,  good  crops  were  the  gifts  of  a  pleased  god ;  every- 
thing was  of  mystery  and  by  offering  up  sacrifices  the 
gods  could  be  appeased  and  wheedled.  Now,  when  a 
ship  goes  on  a  rock,  only  the  women  pray.  A  call  for 
help  is  shot  out  into  the  air,  other  ships  receive  it,  turn 
about  on  the  trackless  ocean  with  as  much  certainty  as 
a  blind  man  goes  from  his  bedroom  to  his  breakfast 
table,  and  soon  they  come  to  the  ship  on  the  rocks. 
There  is  no  more  mystery,  therefore  there  can  be  no 
more  religion." 

The  old  man  was  shocked,  not  so  much  at  Emil's 
words  as  at  his  calmness,  his  sincerity.  "Don't  you 
even  believe  in  God?"  he  asked. 

"I  believe  in  nothing  which  can  not  be  demonstrated, 


EMIL   TAKES    UNCLE   A    SPIN       147 

if  not  as  a  fact,  then  as  a  theory.  The  existence  of 
God,  I  do  not  deny.  I  can  no  more  prove  that  He  does 
not  exist  than  that  He  does;  therefore,  I  live  in  the 
world  I  can  see  and  feel,  and  if  also  He  is  here,  He 
must  admit  that  my  attitude  is  of  more  reverence  than 
is  the  attitude  of  most  Christians." 

"Reverence?"  exclaimed  Bannington  indignantly,  as 
he  thought  of  Dick  having  been  exposed  to  such  views 
for  a  year.  "You  are  blasphemous.  If  a  man  did  not 
have  the  ten  commandments  to  live  by,  he  would  be  the 
vilest  savage !" 

Emil  smiled.  "The  ten  were  condensed  to  two,  you 
remember,"  he  said,  "and  one  of  these  is  impossible. 
No  man  can  love  God." 

Richard  Bannington  forgot  his  swollen  foot  and  sat 
erect.  "How  dare  you  say  such  things?  Think  of  all 
the  charity,  think  of  all  the  churches,  think  of  all 
the—" 

"When  a  few  individuals  the  wealth  which  should 
belong  to  the  entire  society  grab,  it  is  but  natural  that 
they  are  impelled  part  of  the  society's  duties  to  per- 
form— although  most  of  the  big  gifts  are  either  made 
as  an  advertisement,  or  else  the  conscience  a  little  to 
soothe.  But  how  is  it  possible  to  love  what  one  never 
has  seen  or  felt  or  heard.  You  are  superstitious  and 
afraid  to  speak  the  truth;  but  you  do  not  love  Him, 
yourself.  No,  but  you  don't.  You  do  not  your  great 
grandfather  love,  nor  the  best  man  on  this  earth,  if 
you  have  not  come  into  touch  with  him.  Listen :  always 
with  love  there  is  an  eager  yearning  to  serve,  not  as  a 
duty,  mind  you;  but  a  great,  strong  passion  to  pour 


148  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

out  the  best  that  is  in  you.  Ah  ha,  that  is  too  plain  to 
be  missed;  your  face  shows  that  it  hit  even  you." 

"But  there  are  men  who  feel  this  deep  yearning  to 
serve  God." 

Emil  shook  his  head.  "No,"  he  said  slowly,  "the 
man  who  best  serves  God — if  there  is  God — is  the  man 
who  forgets  Him  entirely  in  serving  his  fellow-man. 
Many  try  to  flatter  God  by  speaking  well  of  Him, 
by  looking  solemn  when  He  is  mentioned,  by  express- 
ing their  approval  of  the  way  He  does  things — think 
of  that,  a  human  bug  commending  Omnipotence!  That 
is  why  I  say  I  am  more  reverent  than  most  of  the 
Christians.  If  God  is,  then  is  He  too  vast  for  my  com- 
prehension, He  is  infinite,  almighty.  If  He  is  cruel  and 
revengeful,  and  vain — as  theology  teaches — then  He 
will  torment  me  through  eternity  because  I  am  honest ; 
but  if  He  is  infinitely  just — and  this  is  my  idea  for  God 
— then  what  have  I  to  fear  ? 

"It  is  impossible  to  compare  my  idea  for  God  with 
anything  else;  but  to  show  to  you  exactly  that  which 
I  am  striving  to  convey,  listen.  Suppose  that  I  had  the 
wisdom  to  understand  the  speech  of  an  ant.  I  build  a 
grand  house  and  disturb  the  dwelling  places  of  many 
ants.  They  resent  it,  they  call  me  bitter  names,  they 
curse  me.  Now  then,  would  I  roast  them  on  a  slow 
fire  ?  Why  vicious  man  has  a  society  which  would  pre- 
vent it,  even  though  the  roasting  could  but  a  few  min- 
utes last.  Now,  remember  that  I  am  a  human,  and  vain 
and  cruel,  yet  I  should  sympathize  with  the  ants  and, 
if  it  were  possible,  prepare  for  them  a  new  village. 
You  say  you  reverence  God,  and  yet  you  teach  that  if 


EMIL   TAKES    UNCLE   A    SPIN        149 

we  don't  do  this  or  that  foolishness,  His  infinite  wis- 
dom, justice,  and  love  will  punish  us  throughout  eter- 
nity. Bah,  my  God  is  divine,  yours  is  nothing  but  a 
giant  who  has  never  been  civilized." 

Bannington  was  really  astonished  that  a  bolt  of  light- 
ning did  not  strike  Emil  dead  at  his  feet.  He  had  re- 
ceived very  rigid  religious  instruction  at  his  mother's 
knee,  and  during  all  his  busy  life  this  instruction  had 
clung  to  him.  As  his  intellect  had  matured,  his  religion 
had  remained  the  same  primitive  belief  which  had 
found  lodgment  in  his  unseasoned  child's  mind.  He  sel- 
dom talked  of  religion,  he  seldom  went  to  church,  he 
gave  his  gifts  and  felt  that  he  was  on  good  terms  with 
his  Creator ;  but  to  be  brought  face  to  face  with  him- 
self, his  queer,  creaky  creed,  and  the  bland  agnosticism 
of  his  visitor,  was  much  like  a  sleep-walker  awaking  to 
find  himself  in  the  midst  of  a  cold,  rushing  stream. 

"We  do  not  find  God  because  we  do  not  do  the  work 
He  has  left  us  to  do,"  faltered  Bannington,  striving  to 
force  his  memory  to  give  up  certain  forms  which  had 
long  lain  idle. 

"Bah,"  scoffed  Emil.  "How  could  a  finite  being 
do  the  work  of  an  infinite  being?  It  always  makes  me 
laugh  to  hear  one  of  you  reverent  ones  apologize  for 
God." 

"Apologize  for  Him?" 

"Sure.  You  say  He  is  a  personal  being  who  controls 
every  earthly  action — I  mean  the  ones  of  you  who  even 
pretend  to  be  logical — and  then  when  some  terrible 
calamity  occurs  which,  if  done  deliberately  would  be 
of  a  vast  cruelty,  you  fold  your  hands  and  say  that 


150  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

the  locality  was  for  its  sin  punished.  A  little  child 
dies,  you  say  God  took  him  because  He  loved  him. 
A  drunkard  breaks  his  neck,  you  say  he  aroused  the 
wrath  of  God  and  was  stricken.  You  give  God  credit 
for  all  the  movements  of  nature,  and  then  explain  their 
purpose  so  that  He  will  still  appear  respectable  to  be. 
You  examine  only  your  own  narrow  hearts,  and  find 
your  own  souls  sitting  there  in  the  gloom  and  you  rush 
out  and  say  you  have  found  God." 

"I  don't  see  how  you  can  look  on  the  works  of 
nature,  the  stars,  the  mountains,  the  wonderful  variety 
of  creation,  and  doubt  the  existence  of  God,"  said 
the  old  man  in  a  low,  reverent  tone.  He  felt  inadequate 
to  the  occasion  and  the  situation  accused  him  and 
filled  him  with  humility. 

"Now,  I  will  tell  you  how  I  plan  my  life,"  said 
Emil.  "I  do  not  seek  to  find  God  Himself,  because  no 
good  would  it  do  me.  I  only  seek  to  find  the  great 
laws  of  the  universe.  These  laws  are  just :  neither  kind 
nor  cruel,  neither  resentful  nor  forgiving,  just  just. 
Justice  is  godlike,  I  bow  before  it.  I  have  in  my  body 
sensations.  All  knowledge  whatsoever  comes  to  me 
through  sensations.  I  am  of  material  made,  therefore 
all  things  must  come  to  me  in  the  form  of  material — 
everything,  everything,  I  say,  even  my  emotions.  Cer- 
tain of  my  sensations  seem  to  initiate  in  my  own  body. 
I  call  them  appetites,  desires.  If  God  wished  to  talk  to 
me,  He  would  talk  through  them.  Yes,  that  would  be 
logical,  just. 

"Also  I  have  observation  and  memory — faculties 
and  functions  of  my  material  brain — and  I  observe  that 


EMIL   TAKES   UNCLE   A    SPIN        151 

certain  sensations  are  pleasant  and  certain  others  pain- 
ful. If  God  were  a  personal  being  who  had  revealed 
himself  orally,  pain  would  be  a  curse;  but  to  me  pain 
is  the  great  teacher;  pain  is  ever  watchful,  pain  is  just 
I  observe  that  some  acts  yield  pleasant  sensations,  but 
the  reaction  is  painful.  I  consider  this,  I  store  it 
away,  I  call  it  experience,  it  becomes  my  monitor. 
When  I  heed  my  monitor,  I  am  healthy,  I  am  content, 
I  am  happy.  Otherwise,  not.  Now,  the  highest  de- 
velopment in  man  is  the  social  instinct,  the  social  ex- 
perience, the  social  conscience.  No  man  can  himself 
safeguard,  but  all  men  working  in  unison  could  remove 
sickness,  and  poverty,  and  pain.  All  the  books  of  all 
the  religions  have  I  read,  they  are  confusion.  Nature 
is  the  same  always.  Her  I  listen  to  and  she  deceives 
me  not.  If  God  is,  nature  is  His  revelation." 

"I  can  see  your  position,"  said  Bannington,  "and  it  is 
not  so  irreverent  as  it  seemed  at  first,  but  your  very 
arguments  prove  the  existence  of  God." 

"Not  so,  It  merely  proves  that  if  there  be  a  God, 
He  is  infinite  and  just;  caring  nothing  whatever  for 
any  individual  at  all.  The  innocent  child  is  permitted 
to  starve  to  death,  or  to  be  ground  up  in  the  mills  and 
factories,  and  God  does  not  a  hand  to  save  him  reach. 
It  is  merely  written  down  on  the  social  experience  that 
if  man  wishes  his  species  to  continue,  he  must  coop- 
erate, he  must  learn  to  protect  his  own  young  through 
social  supervision.  God  has  merely  tossed  out  a  world 
and  said,  Tight  for  it;'  and  we  have  fought  for  it; 
fought  with  the  prehistoric  monsters,  with  the  tiny 
germs,  and  with  one  another.  We  have  loved  the  fight, 


152  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

but  we  have  not  loved  the  God  who  tossed  us  the  world 
to  fight  over.  Some  day,  when  we  have  conquered 
ourselves,  even  as  we  have  already  conquered  distance, 
time  and  the  secrets  of  production,  we  shall  begin  to 
look  up;  and  if  there  is  a  God,  we  shall  find  Him 
through  loving  our  fellow-man ;  but  now  we  must  con- 
tinue to  fight,  and  one  thing  at  a  time  is  plenty.  Matter 
changes  its  form,  but  it  is  not  destructible.  Life 
changes  its  form,  but  neither  is  it  destructible.  If  life 
continues  the  same  individual  life  through  its  changes, 
then  some  day  I,  my  very  self,  may  say  I  have  found 
God.  Until  then  I  shall  remain  as  I  am,  growing  like 
a  tree." 

Twilight  had  begun  to  fling  her  long  shadows  across 
the  landscape,  and  the  restful  peace  of  a  weary  day 
stole  in  with  its  soothing  silence.  The  two  men  sat 
thinking,  and  their  thoughts  reached  far  and  wide  in 
many  directions.  They  did  not  hear  the  door  open  and 
Ivan  enter. 

Ivan  walked  up  to  the  old  man  and,  without  refer- 
ence to  any  foregoing  subject,  said  with  sad  firmness : 
"I  can  not  approve." 

"You  can't  approve  of  what?"  demanded  Banning- 
ton,  who  was  undecided  as  to  whether  Ivan  objected 
to  the  outcome  of  his  theological  discussion  with  Emil 
or  if  he  objected  to  all  religious  discussions  from  prin- 
ciple. 

"I  can  not  approve  of  your  nephew's  going  into  your 
plant,"  answered  Ivan  earnestly.  "We  are  all  subject 
to  our  environment  and  he  is  still  unformed.  He  would 
be  shaken  by  his  new  duties,  he  would  soon  get  into 


EMIL   TAKES    UNCLE   A    SPIN        153 

your  way  of  thinking,  he  would  find  himself  in  the 
midst  of  problems  demanding  instant  attention,  and  he 
would  lose  his  high  ideals,  his  purpose,  his  real  life- 
work.  I  can  not  approve." 

"You  don't  have  to  approve,"  rejoined  Bannington, 
glad  to  find  himself  on  solid  rock  again.  "I'll  take  all 
the  responsibilities.  I  only  wanted  to  give  you  an  op- 
portunity to  display  your  brand  of  judgment.  I  don't 
think  much  of  it.  It  is  impractical." 

"No,"  murmured  Emil,  "it  is  of  experience.  Social- 
ists have  been  taken  into  the  cabinets  of  Europe.  They 
soon  began  to  think  like  ministers.  We  want  all  so- 
cialists to  think  like  working-men." 

"When  did  you  work  last?"  flashed  Richard  Ban- 
nington, turning  upon  him. 

Emil  chuckled.  "This  is  the  way  that  personal  con- 
troversies always  start.  They  amount  to  nothing, 
except  to  pass  the  time  away.  Science  deals  with 
generalizations,  unscience  confines  itself  to  freaks,  the 
hero,  the  genius,  the  honest  lawyer,  the  scrupulous  cap- 
tain of  industry."  He  closed  his  eyes,  drew  a  deep 
breath,  and  when  he  resumed  there  was  a  vibrant 
undertone  in  his  voice  which  entirely  removed  its  usual 
academic  impersonality.  "Twelve  years  ago  I  stoked 
a  tramp  steamer  for  ten  months  against  my  will  and 
without  receiving  pay.  You  say  such  a  thing  would  be 
impossible.  To  me  it  happened  and  still  in  my  nostrils 
are  the  sickening  smells,  and  still  do  I  gag  at  the  rotten 
food  I  swallowed.  Since  then  with  my  hands  I  have  not 
worked.  Now,  when  I  work,  it  is  with  the  head.  My 
memory  is  good ;  I  can  do  many  things ;  but  all  I  work 


154  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

for  is  a  modest  living.  No  man  shall  ever  again  make 
of  my  labor  much  profit.  I  am  on  a  strike." 

"Well,  hanged  if  I  wouldn't  like  to  know  what  the 
tests  for  insanity  are,  nowadays,"  cried  Bannington. 
"You  two  loaf  from  one  year's  end  to  another,  and  yet 
you  devote  yourselves  to  bewailing  the  hardships  of  the 
laboring  man.  I  wish  I  had  the  power  to  put  you  at 
hard  labor  for  the  rest  of  your  days.  I  would — but 
remember,  that  as  long  as  you  are  Dick's  guests,  you 
are  perfectly  welcome  at  Bannington  Park,  and  what  I 
say  is  said  freely  and  impartially,  and  just  the  same  as 
if  we  had  happened  to  meet  at  a  way  station." 

"That  is  all  right,"  said  Emil,  smiling.  "You  have 
been  a  good  host.  I  have  felt  at  liberty  to  say  all  I 
had  to  say.  Now  it  is  time  to  wash  for  dinner,  so  I'll 
say  au  revolr  for  a  few  moments." 

Ivan  followed  his  friend  from  the  room  and  Ban- 
nington sat  gazing  after  them.  He  shook  his  head  while 
several  conflicting  expressions  flitted  across  his  grim 
old  face.  "I  wonder  what  would  have  happened  to  me  if 
I  had  fallen  in  with  that  pair  when  I  was  Dick's  age, 
having  plenty  of  money  and  nothing  to  do.  I  don't 
want  to  be  unjust  to  the  boy,  he's  only  a  boy.  I  wonder 
if  he  has  any  religion.  Hardly  know  whether  I  have 
any  myself,  now.  This  has  been  a  stimulating  after- 
noon, and  my  fool  foot  is  lots  better.  To  think  of  a 
man  being  on  a  strike  all  by  himself."  He  broke 
into  a  chuckle.  "I'll  be  sorry  to  lose  that  German." 

The  old  man  dropped  into  a  silent  reverie,  drumming 
noiselessly  on  the  arm  of  his  chair  with  long,  ener- 
getic fingers.  "Ivan  was  right,"  he  said  after  a  space, 


EMIL   TAKES   UNCLE   A    SPIN        155 

striking  the  arm  with  his  fist.  "It  will  change  his  way 
of  thinking.  He  will  get  into  the  habit  of  thinking  like 
me,  if  he  gets  in  the  habit  of  working  with  me.  If  I 
can  just  land  him  in  the  harness,  he'll  be  so  blamed 
busy  that  he  won't  have  time  to  bother  with  theories; 
and  he  won't  have  much  sympathy  with  labor  unions 
.after  he's  had  a  fight  or  two  with  them.  If  he  does, 
he's  not  of  the  stuff  I  take  him  for. 

"I  feel  a  blamed  sight  better.  I  think  I'll  go  out  to 
dinner  myself  to-night.  I'm  going  to  set  'em  all  three 
to  talking  religion.  I'd  like  to  hear  the  count's  views. 
I'll  bet  he's  got  a  religion  like  a  snake!" 

He  rose,  and  after  taking  a  few  painful  steps,  he 
used  a  straight-backed  chair  for  a  cane,  and  returned 
to  the  desk  near  which  his  easy  chair  was  standing. 
He  struck  the  bell  angrily,  waited  a  second  and  struck 
it  repeatedly.  In  a  moment  the  butler  entered  with  a 
perturbed  expression  on  his  wooden  face. 

"Why  don't  you  pay  closer  attention?"  demanded 
Bannington.  "Hand  me  my  cane — now  give  me  your 
shoulder — steady,  stupid,  steady." 

With  much  grumbling  and  much  fuss,  the  head  of 
the  house  of  Bannington  walked  gingerly  out  to  dinner, 
hoping  to  study  his  nephew's  face  during  a  religious 
discussion.  The  butler  hoped  they  would  escape  a  col- 
lision with  the  furniture. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

UNCLE   RICHARD    COLLIDES 

FYTNNER  was  a  disappointment  to  Richard  Ban- 
•*->'  nington :  Dick  did  not  appear,  the  count  refused 
to  be  drawn  into  a  religious  discussion,  Emil  refused 
to  be  insulted,  and  Ivan  flinched  from  an  unkind  re- 
mark without  striking  back.  This  was  really  the  hard- 
est blow.  The  old  man  prided  himself  on  his  spirit  of 
fair  play;  he  made  it  a  rule  not  to  take  advantage  of 
his  position,  and  to  have  one  of  his  guests  meekly 
pocket  an  affront  was  to  put  him  into  a  situation  from 
which  there  was  no  honorable  retreat,  and  he  had  left 
his  guests  over  their  coffee  and  cigars  and  had  come 
into  the  library  in  a  highly  irritated  condition. 

He  had  his  chair  drawn  close  to  the  fireplace  and  sat 
down  with  a  discontented  groan.  "I  wish  it  was  cool 
enough  to  have  a  fire,"  he  grumbled.  "A  human  being 
is  as  uncertain  as  Sunday-school-picnic  weather.  Oh, 
wrath,  I  wish  this  foot  would  get  well !" 

He  looked  at  the  head-lines  on  the  front  pages  of 
three  evening  papers,  rumpled  them  up,  and  cast  them 
to  the  floor  like  a  spoiled  child.  "They're  all  alike," 
he  muttered ;  "always  the  same  proportion  of  scandal, 
accidents  and  crimes.  I'd  just  as  soon  read  a  paper 
ten  years  old  as  one  ten  minutes  old.  Good  land,  to 
think  that  I  once  subscribed  to  a  clipping  bureau  to 

156 


UNCLE    RICHARD   COLLIDES         157 

find  out  what  the  newspapers  said  about  me!  I  must 
have  been  demented.  I  would  not  give  two  cents — " 

He  was  interrupted  by  the  butler  who  entered  to 
report  that  the  two  keepers  had  brought  in  a  woman 
whom  they  had  caught  trespassing  on  his  grounds. 
He  considered  the  matter  a  moment.  He  had 
felt  perfectly  justified  in  building  the  high  board  fence. 
When  the  first  two  keepers  had  made  clear  the  impos- 
sibility of  their  thoroughly  patrolling  so  large  an  area, 
he  had  added  two  others  so  that  there  could  be  night 
and  day  shifts,  and  had  given  them  rigid  instructions 
to  bring  the  first  trespasser  directly  to  himself.  But 
now  that  he  was  called  on  to  assume  the  role  of  a 
feudal  overlord,  it  took  on  an  unexpected  and  bizarre 
appearance,  and  he  was  impelled  to  bid  them  send  the 
woman  on  her  way. 

If  he  had  not  been  in  a  bad  temper,  he  would  un- 
doubtedly have  done  so,  but  as  it  was,  he  hardened  his 
face  and  said  shortly :  "Bring  her  in." 

With  his  well  foot  he  kicked  his  chair  around  until 
it  was  facing  the  door  and  his  face  wore  its  most  for- 
bidding expression  when  the  two  guards  entered,  hold- 
ing by  the  arms  Miss  Burton  who  struggled  indignantly 
but  futilely. 

She  looked  Bannington  fiercely  in  the  eyes.  "Of  all 
the  outrageous  acts  which  you  have  done  in  a  miserably 
misspent  lifetime,  this  is  the  worst.  It  does  not  seem 
possible  that  in  any  civilized  land  at  this  period  of  the 
world's  history — " 

"Never  mind  the  world's  history,"  interrupted  the 
old  man  dryly.  Her  appearance  stimulated  and  soothed 


158  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

him.  The  situation  promised  to  be  exactly  the  safety- 
valve  which  he  needed.  "Tell  me  what  is  the  matter  as 
briefly  and  as  calmly  as  possible.  My  doctor  has 
ordered  quiet  and  I  insist  on  having  it." 

"I  merely  stepped  into  your  grounds  for  a  moment, 
and  these  ignorant  foreigners  pounced  on  me  and — " 

"What  did  you  step  into  my  grounds  for  ?" 

"Don't  think  for  one  moment  that  I  would  set  foot 
on  your  grounds  for  my  own  pleasure,"  returned  Miss 
Burton,  holding  her  head  high  and  shaking  it  vigor- 
ously. "I  was  in  search  of  a  young  girl,  a  wayward, 
headstrong  creature  who  is  under  my  supervision  and 
who  makes  my  life  a  burden  by  her — " 

"Well,  that  is  no  reason  why  you  should  come  and 
make  my  life  a  burden,"  interjected  Bannington,  who 
felt  that  the  board-fence  investment  was  beginning  to 
pay  dividends.  Long  training  had  given  him  the  power 
to  enjoy  things  thoroughly  without  altering  the  mis- 
anthropic expression  of  his  face.  "From  which  direc- 
tion did  you  come?" 

"I  came  from  the  eastern  side  of — " 

"Well,  Great  Scott,  how  did  you  climb  that  fence  ?" 
interrupted  Bannington. 

"You  are  positively  insulting!  Do  you  think  that  I 
should  ever  attempt  to  climb  a  fence  fifteen  feet  high, 
to  say  nothing — " 

"It  is  not  fifteen,  it  is  only  ten.  What  do  you  sup- 
pose it  was  put  up  for,  anyway?" 

"I  refuse  to  suppose  anything  about  either  your 
fence  or  any  other  of  your  barbarous  actions.  I  have 
told  you  that  I  merely  stepped  on  to  your  premises  in 


UNCLE   RICHARD   COLLIDES         159 

order  to  seek  a  young  girl.  I  had  no  idea  that  in  my 
own  dear  America,  the  land  of  the  free,  I  should  find 
armed  guards  patrolling  a  division  fence  which  in  itself 
is  an  eyesore  to  the  culture  and  refinement  of  the 
twentieth  century.  I  mentioned  the  freedom  of  this 
country,  but  of  course  it  means  freedom  to  do  right 
and  not — " 

"I  have  heard  about  freedom  before,  and  you  need 
not  feel  called  on  to  deliver  a  lecture,"  interrupted 
Bannington.  "You  don't  suppose  that  I  put  up  that 
fence  and  hired  these  guards  to  trap  a  governess,  do 
you?  For  the  last  ten  days  there  hasn't  a  soul  come 
near  me  without  trying  to  add  to  my  education.  I  know 
all  I  want  to  know — my  opinions  suit  me  exactly ;  and, 
as  far  as  freedom  goes,  my  land  is  my  own,  and  if  I 
want  to  build  a  fifty-foot  wall  around  it  and  put  a 
roof  over  it  and  sow  it  with  bear-traps,  I  am  going  to 
do  it  in  spite  of  all  the  woman-suffragists  and  the  so- 
cialists, and  the  rest  of  the  cranks  put  together.  Fur- 
thermore, you  are  guilty  of  trespass,  and  I  intend  to 
make  an  example — " 

"If  you  do  not  permit  me  to  leave  at  once,  I  shall 
write  up  this  outrage  in  every  newspaper  in  the  coun- 
try. I  shall  have  all  the  ministers  preach  against  it,  I 
shall  have  it  told  in  clubs  and  hotels  until  you— 

"Good  work,"  commended  Bannington.  "Go  ahead, 
and  if  your  pin-money  runs  out  before  you  finish,  just 
send  in  your  bills  to  my  advertising  department.  What 
is  your  name?" 

"I  refuse  to  tell  you,"  answered  Miss  Burton,  for 
the  first  time  giving  evidence  of  faltering  confidence. 


i6o  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

"All  right  You  can  tell  the  justice  of  the  peace  if 
you  prefer.  But  you  will  have  to  tell  some  one,  so 
you  might  just  as  well  tell  me  now  and  have  it  over 
with." 

Miss  Burton's  fingers  worked  convulsively,  and  the 
motions  they  made  suggested  scratching,  her  expres- 
sion was  composed  of  indignation  and  defiance,  but  as 
the  old  man's  cold  gray  eyes  kept  steadily  on  hers,  from 
beneath  his  heavy  brows,  a  look  of  nervous  dread  came 
to  Miss  Burton's  face.  She  felt,  as  a  material  sub- 
stance, the  power  of  his  will  bending  hers,  and  she 
would  have  chosen  torture  rather  than  to  appear  at 
a  disadvantage  before  a  Bannington.  Yet  she  could 
feel  the  little  lines  about  her  eyes  weakening  and  knew 
that  the  sooner  she  surrendered,  the  more  graceful 
her  submission  would  be.  "Do  you  mean  that  you 
would  be  vulgar  enough  to  force  a  lady  to  divulge  her 
name?"  she  demanded  scornfully. 

"I  don't  know  the  meaning  of  divulge,"  returned 
Bannington  with  wicked  gravity,  "but  I'm  vulgar 
enough  to  do  anything  in  order  to  gain  a  point." 

"Well,  then,"  said  Miss  Burton,  and  she  really  ap- 
peared to  be  granting  an  impertinent  request  rather 
than  yielding  to  force,  "it  is  utterly  reprehensible  for 
you  to  insist,  but  as  long  as  you  are  so  ill-mannered  as 
to  do  so,  my  name  is  Miss  Burton." 

"Miss  Burton !"  exclaimed  Bannington,  raising  him- 
self on  the  arms  of  his  chair,  and  then  sinking  back  as 
from  a  shock.  "Well,  I  don't  blame  Dick  a  bit.  He 
don't  have  to  marry  you!  I  mean,  madam" — as  he 
noted  the  expression  of  her  face — "that  I  am  sorry  that 


UNCLE   RICHARD    COLLIDES         161 

I  have  inconvenienced  you.  You  see,  I  am  a  very  ill 
man,  a  little  delirious.  I — " 

"That  will  do!"  cried  Miss  Burton.  "You  have  de- 
liberately insulted  me,  and  it  is  useless  to  attempt  to 
pass  it  off.  This  is  not  the  end  of  it,  I  can  assure  you. 
I  shall  tell  my  cousin  of  this — you  may  be  sure  of 
that.  And  furthermore — " 

Richard  was  really  sorry  that  he  had  been  so  care- 
less as  to  offend  unintentionally,  and  he  stopped  her 
with  upraised  hand  and  said  in  his  most  pacific  voice : 
"My  dear  Miss  Burton,  this  is  all  a  mistake,  and  I  am 
sorry.  I  did  not  intend  to  capture  you,  believe  me, 
and  I  shall  discharge  those  stupid  keepers,  as  soon  as 
I  am  through  with  them.  The  fact  is  that,  uh — that 
there  have  been  many  attempts  lately  to  steal — to  steal 
my  nephew's  bulldog,  and  this  fence  was  one  of  his 
whims.  But  I  am  convinced  that  you  would  never 
think  of  stealing  a  bulldog,  and  I  shall  give  orders 
that  in  the  future  you  are  given  the  entire  freedom 
of  my  grounds." 

"Oh,  no,"  answered  Miss  Burton,  giving  her  head 
a  patrician  toss,  "you  may  wish  to  drop  it,  but  I 
assure  you — " 

"Now  don't  bother  to  thank  me,"  interjected  Ban- 
nington.  "It  was  all  a  mistake  in  the  first  place.  You 
may  walk  on  my  grounds  as  much  as  you  please,  you 
may  knock  boards  off  the  fence ;  or  better  still,  I'll  have 
gates  cut  through.  No,  hang  it,  I'll  have  the  fence 
pulled  down.  Now,  Higgins,  conduct  Miss  Burton 
to  the  door.  Or  perhaps  you  had  better  see  her  home. 
It  is  quite  dark.  Madam,  I  wish  you  good  evening." 


1 62  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

Miss  Burton  cast  a  scornful  glance  at  Richard  Ban- 
nington,  a  disdainful  one  at  the  humble  Higgins,  a 
resentful,  but  still  a  partially  triumphant  one  at  the 
two  guards  who  were  still  standing  awkwardly  at  the 
door,  and  with  very  erect  carriage  she  followed  Hig- 
gins to  the  front  door  where  she  curtly  refused  his 
further  services. 

Bannington  wiped  his  brow.  "Good  heavens,"  he 
muttered.  "I  saw  that  woman  at  Burton's  a  month  or  so 
ago,  but  I  thought  her  the  housekeeper.  Well,  Dick 
has  won  this  deal,  all  right." 

He  suddenly  remembered  the  guards  who  were 
beginning  to  fidget.  "Don't  bring  any  one  else  to  me," 
he  said  decisively.  "Did  you  find  that  stone  building 
I  told  you  of?" 

The  guards  nodded  and  Bannington  continued,  "If 
you  catch  any  one  else,  shut  them  up  in  that,  and  in  the 
morning  take  them  over  to  Squire  Newton's — the 
stableman  will  tell  you  where  it  is — and  I'll  telephone 
him  what  I  want  done  with  them.  That's  all." 

When  the  old  man  was  left  alone  again  he  kicked  his 
chair  around  until  it  faced  the  fireplace,  and,  as  was 
his  custom,  proceeded  to  talk  to  himself  in  a  gruff 
undertone.  "I  shall  never  read  another  novel,"  was 
his  first  utterance.  "I  suppose  it  must  be  twenty  years 
now  since  Thompson  told  me  I  ought  to  read  novels 
to  take  my  mind  off  business  and  give  me  a  chance  to 
rest.  I  must  have  read  a  thousand  of  the  fool  things — 
this  is  the  last  time  that  Thompson  doctors  me !  The 
very  moment  any  opposition  is  put  between  two  people 
of  the  opposite  sex,  in  a  novel,  they  immediately  fall  in 


UNCLE   RICHARD   COLLIDES         163 

love  and  get  married — if  they  have  to  go  up  in  a  bal- 
loon to  do  it.  Suppose  Dick  had  fallen  in  love  with 
Miss  Burton!" 

Bannington  paused  and  began  to  grin.  At  first  the 
grin  was  hesitating  and  diffident,  but  as  he  thought 
back  over  the  interview,  muscle  after  muscle  in  his 
grim  face  relaxed,  and  when  he  finally  began  to 
chuckle,  the  similarity  between  his  own  and  his  neph- 
ew's face  was  very  marked  indeed.  "The  girl  has  her 
father's  grit  all  right,  but  she's  too  overbearing,  too 
overbearing.  I  don't  see  where  she  ever  got  such  an 
air.  Higgins,  Higgins !" 

The  butler  entered  promptly,  but  Bannington  was 
now  under  the  sway  of  a  new  desire,  and  he  said  petu- 
lantly: "Higgins,  I  don't  see  why  you  can  never  be 
where  I  want  you.  I  have  had  to  call  you  a  dozen  times 
every  time  I  have  wanted  you  to-day,  and  that  fool  doc- 
tor says  I  must  have  quiet.  Help  me  into  my  office.  It 
is  time  already  for  my  private  secretary  to  be  here.  The 
minute  I  get  a  little  out  of  repair,  everybody  in  the 
world  keeps  me  waiting;  but  I'm  getting  better,  at  that. 
Now  be  careful,  be  careful." 

When  they  reached  the  office,  Bannington  sank  into 
his  chair  with  a  throaty  sigh,  and  said:  "The  very 
minute  Lorrimer  arrives,  send  him  in — do  you  hear?" 

The  butler  withdrew  and  the  old  man  stretched  his 
arms  and  reclined  more  heavily  in  his  easy  chair.  The 
lids  drooped  over  his  eyes  and  his  face  relaxed.  He 
was  alone  now,  there  was  no  need  for  pretense  of  any 
kind,  and  as  his  mind  wandered  where  it  would,  a 
smile,  tinged  with  sadness  and  longing,  but  still  a  smile, 


1 64  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

took  all  the  grimness  out  of  his  face  and  made  it  one 
that  baby  hands  would  have  loved  to  pat.  Some  day, 
these  cold  "business  faces"  of  ours  will  be  as  obsolete 
as  the  steel  armor  of  our  ancestors;  some  day,  giving 
will  be  considered  more  manly  than  grabbing,  but  in 
the  meantime,  let  us  fight  as  best  we  may  until  the 
fight  be  done. 


CHAPTER  XV 

LORRAIN    SCATTERS  TACKS 

E'RRAIN  was  moody  that  evening  and  his  patience 
refused  to  stand  the  strain  when  Emil  and  Ivan 
took  opposing  sides  on  the  question  whether  the  legal 
execution  of  rebels  by  tyrants  or  the  illegal  execution 
of  tyrants  by  rebels,  had  done  the  more  to  advance  the 
cause  of  freedom.  As  they  warmed  to  their  work  and 
the  history  of  the  human  race  was  being  sifted  in 
search  of  facts  to  support  one  side  or  the  other,  Lorrain 
pushed  back  his  chair  impatiently  and  strolled  aim- 
lessly into  the  library  just  as  Bannington  and  Higgins 
turned  into  the  hallway  which  led  to  the  office. 

He  walked  over  to  the  window  and  stood  looking  out 
with  his  hands  thrust  into  his  pockets  and  his  brows 
drawn  together.  In  his  trips  to  New  York,  Lorrain 
had  not  visited  the  socialists.  Instead  he  had  hunted 
up  some  influential  acquaintances  whom  he  had  met 
abroad,  and  they  had  procured  him  the  privileges  of 
several  clubs.  Lorrain  proved  himself  an  exception  to 
the  typical  foreigner  of  title  by  cultivating  the  society 
of  men  instead  of  women;  and  it  must  be  confessed 
that  he  had  the  faculty  of  making  men  like  him  without 
appearing  to  put  forth  any  efforts  in  that  direction. 

165 


1 66  THE   STEERING   WHEEE 

His  friends  invariably  introduced  him  as  Count  Lor- 
rain ;  he  invariably  protested  that  he  had  given  up  his 
title  and  preferred  to  dispense  entirely  with  its  use. 
His  protests  were  made  with  frank  sincerity. 

He  spent  his  money  freely  but  wisely,  was  able  to 
discuss  any  subject,  and  had  plenty  of  European  gos- 
sip to  offer  in  exchange  for  the  home  product.  But 
his  supply  of  money  had  been  very  limited  and  already 
he  was  in  debt  to  several  of  his  new  friends.  The 
amounts  were  small  and  for  that  very  reason  he  wanted 
to  be  in  a  position  to  pay  on  the  faintest  hint.  He  had 
expected  no  difficulty  in  securing  an  ample  loan  from 
Dick,  but  that  individual  seemed  to  have  pressing  af- 
fairs of  his  own  and  Lorrain  was  vexed  at  the  awk- 
wardness of  his  situation. 

He  heard  a  slight  noise  at  the  library  door,  and 
turning  saw  a  young  man  with  a  cornet  case  in  his 
hand.  The  two  eyed  each  other  critically  without 
speaking.  There  was  a  marked  resemblance  between 
them,  although  the  new-comer  was  younger  and 
smooth-shaven.  His  face  denoted  evident  displeasure 
at  the  meeting,  while  Lorrain's  face  indicated  a  certain 
low  satisfaction. 

"I  thought  that  you  had  moved  to  New  York,"  said 
the  man  with  the  cornet  case,  who  was  Edward  Lor- 
rimer,  Richard  Bannington's  private  secretary. 

"I  returned  this  afternoon,"  replied  Lorrain.  "You 
do  not  seem  rejoiced  to  see  your  brother  after  our 
long  separation." 

"I  never  wanted  to  see  you  again,"  said  Lorrimer 
bitterly.  "When  I  found  that  you  had  come  to  this 


LORRAIN  SCATTERS  TACKS    167 

country,  I  at  first  thought  it  was  to  make  restitution ; 
but  after  noting  your  actions,  I  find  that  you  are  still 
the  same." 

"Still  the  same — still  in  need  of  money,"  admitted 
Lorrain  without  embarrassment.  "You  appear  to  be 
prosperous — may  I  look  to  you  for  a  little  temporary 
relief?" 

"Now,  see  here,  Claude,"  said  Lorrimer  soberly,  "I 
am  not  at  all  wealthy.  I  have  worked  hard  and  I  have 
paid  back  the  money  which  you  got  through  forgery, 
but  I—" 

Lorrain  raised  his  hand.  "I  perfectly  comprehend," 
he  said.  "It  is  not  necessary  to  parade  the  family 
skeleton — for  it  is  a  family  skeleton,  you  know.  I 
prefer  not  to  refer  to  the  past  at  all ;  the  present  is  un- 
pleasant enough  as  it  is.  I  am  seriously  in  debt  and 
young  Bannington  claims  that  he  can  not  relieve  my 
embarrassment." 

"Gambling?"  asked  Lorrimer. 

"Yes — the  American  form — margins.  I  found  it 
necessary  in  order  to  stand  in  with  a  certain  influential 
clique." 

"How  much?"  asked  Lorrimer  shortly. 

Lorrain  slowly  took  a  cigarette  from  his  case,  as  he 
estimated  the  amount  which  his  brother  should  have 
accumulated  during  his  residence  in  the  country  where 
fortunes  were  often  made  in  a  week.  There  was  a 
keenness  to  his  brother's  face,  a  composed  confidence 
which  resembled  the  expressions  of  the  successful  busi- 
ness men  he  had  met. 

"Nearly  ten  thousand  dollars,  all  told,"  he  ventured. 


1 68  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

"It  is  out  of  the  question,"  said  Lorrimer  decisively. 
"I  am  not  rich." 

"I  see  you  as  a  guest  in  this  house,"  argued  Lorrain. 
"I  am  sure  you  are  not  a  friend  of  Dick's.  Why  should 
a  poor  man  come  to  see  the  head  of  the  Bannington 
Steel  Plant?" 

"I  am  in  his  employ,"  said  Lorrimer. 

"What!     A  common  workman?" 

"No,  his  private  secretary,"  answered  Lorrimer,  a 
slight  smile  curving  his  lips. 

"That  is  better,"  admitted  Lorrain  complacently. 
"I  could  not  bear  to  think  of  a  Lorrain  descending  to 
common  labor.  Does  not  your  position  pay  well?" 

"The  salary  is  fair,  but  it  is  chiefly  valuable  as  a 
stepping-stone.  I  have  studied  the  business  closely, 
have  been  of  service  to  the  firm,  and  as  soon  as  I  can 
buy  a  little  more  stock,  I  am  to  be  made  a  director." 

"This  proves  you  to  be  in  the  confidence  of  the  man- 
agement. There  is  surely  some  way  in  which  you 
can  help  me."  Lorrain's  tone  was  ingratiating. 

"I  know  of  none,  and  I  must  leave  you  now.  Mr. 
Bannington  is  waiting  for  me  and  he  insists  on  punctu- 
ality," replied  Lorrimer  coldly. 

"Oh,  he  can  wait  a  few  minutes.  I  am  in  really  a 
desperate  fix,  and  you  will  have  to  assist  me." 

"Have  to  ?"  questioned  Lorrimer,  his  eyes  narrowing 
a  little. 

"Yes,  have  to,"  answered  Lorrain,  lowering  his  voice 
and  speaking  slowly.  "You  must  not  forget  that  you 
took  the  blame  on  your  own  shoulders  and  that  it  rests 


LORRAIN  SCATTERS  TACKS    169 

there  yet.  Would  the  old  man  desire  a  director  who  had 
confessed  to  forgery  in  France?" 

It  was  an  old,  old  situation,  trite  in  fiction,  hackneyed 
on  the  stage,  and  yet,  in  spite  of  its  having  hung  over 
him  for  years,  it  suddenly  took  living  shape  before 
Lorrimer's  eyes.  For  a  moment  his  mouth  weakened, 
and  then  it  once  more  hardened  into  its  habitual  calm 
determination,  typical  of  the  modern  man  of  business. 

"You  were  the  favorite,"  he  stated  in  matter-of-fact 
tones.  "I  took  the  blame  to  temper  the  blow  as  much 
as  possible  to  our  father.  I  think  that  Mr.  Banning- 
ton  would  believe  me  and  understand.  As  neither  of 
our  parents  is  now  living,  there  is  no  longer  any  induce- 
ment for  me  to  retain  my  false  position  and  if  you 
make  any  disclosures,  you  alone  would  be  the  loser. 
You  would  lose  even  the  false  title  you  wear." 

Lorrain  appeared  perfectly  at  ease.  "It  is  not  a 
question  of  choice  with  me,"  he  said.  "If  I  don't  get 
the  money,  I  go  under  anyway.  It  is  entirely  up  to 
you." 

"I  can  not  wait  longer,"  said  Lorrimer.  "Here  is 
my  address;  you  may  call  and  see  me  any  evening." 

"Don't  forget  that  I  must  have  part  of  the  money 
by  day  after  to-morrow,"  said  Lorrain  as  his  brother 
started  to  leave  the  room.  Lorrimer  made  no  sign, 
and  after  following  him  to  the  door,  Lorrain  turned 
and  walked  back  to  the  window.  "I  still  have  a  lever- 
age on  him,"  he  muttered,  "and  if  he  does  not  give  in 
gracefully,  I  shall  squeeze." 

Again  he  turned  from  the  window,  and  again  he 


1 70  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

found  himself  face  to  face  with  his  brother.  For  the 
first  time  he  noted  the  cornet  case.  "Since  when  did 
you  become  a  musician?"  he  asked. 

Lorrinier  glanced  down  at  the  case,  but  paid  no  atten- 
tion to  the  question.  "I  would  help  you  if  I  could,"  he 
said,  "but  I  can  not.  I  am  willing  to  give  you  enough  to 
leave  the  country,  but  as  for  advancing  ten  thousand 
dollars — it  is  out  of  the  question." 

The  cornet  case  had  given  Lorrain  an  idea.  He  felt 
sure  that  no  musical  instrument  was  inside,  but  that 
the  case  was  used  to  carry  important  papers  without 
attracting  attention.  "I  do  not  want  to  cause  you 
trouble,"  he  said  candidly,  "but  I  must  have  money.  I 
have  overheard  the  old  man  talking  to  Dick,  and  I 
know  there  is  some  kind  of  a  big  deal  on.  Give  me  a 
straight,  inside  tip,  and  I'll  find  some  way  to  turn  it 
into  money." 

Lorrimer  clenched  his  hand  fiercely.  "You  may  as 
well  drop  that,"  he  said  sternly.  "I  took  blame  for 
your  forgery,  but  while  this  has  ruined  my  reputation 
in  France,  it  has  not  ruined  my  sense  of  honor.  I  shall 
never  reveal  a  single  secret." 

"It  would  be  much  the  easiest  way,"  said  Lorrain 
with  irritating  composure.  "I  don't  want  to  be  forced 
to  resort  to  extreme  measures,  but  you  can  help  me  if 
you  will — and  I  intend  that  you  shall." 

"You  may  do  whatever  you  please,"  answered  Lor- 
rimer firmly.  "I  wash  my  hands  of  you." 

He  left  the  room  abruptly  and  Lorrain  seated  him- 
self at  the  center-table.  For  a  while  he  sat  with  a 
thoughtful  frown  on  his  brow,  and  then  with  a  pleased 


LORRAIN    SCATTERS   TACKS         171 

smile  he  sprang  to  his  feet  and  crossing  the  hall,  he 
left  the  house  by  the  side  door.  Soon  after  this  a  low 
whistle  floated  out  from  a  clump  of  bushes  in  which 
rested  a  bench.. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

DICK  STEERS :  CUPID  PICKS  THE  PATH 

T  T  had  been  a  busy  day  for  Dick  and  Mulligan.  He 
-*-  had  come  out  from  New  York  on  the  train  that 
reached  Minster  at  seven  o'clock,  and  had  hastened  to 
the  oak-tree  post-office  at  the  far  end  of  the  park  before 
entering  the  house.  He  found  two  little  missives  for 
each  day  that  he  had  been  away  and  as  he  was  care- 
ful to  read  them  in  exactly  the  order  in  which  they 
were  sent,  and  was  quick  to  note  their  progressive  fer- 
vor, a  strange  buoyancy  filled  his  bosom  as  though  his 
soul  were  dancing  for  joy.  Well,  probably  it  was. 

Their  affair  had  progressed  amazingly,  although 
kept  strictly  within  the  boy  and  girl  limits  which  they 
had  originally  set ;  and  the  one  time  that  he  had  kissed 
her,  she  had  refused  to  be  mollified  until  he  had  pro- 
duced a  half-dozen  standard  child-stories  to  prove 
that  this  was  an  incident,  strictly  consistent  with  the 
game  they  were  playing.  Even  then  she  had  refused 
to  permit  a  repetition,  in  spite  of  his  convincing  argu- 
ments that  this  bit  of  realism  was  positively  necessary 
to  give  class  to  their  purely  histrionic  production. 

She  had  proved  to  be  a  rather  exacting  young  lady, 
refusing  to  step  foot  on  the  Bannington  grounds,  even 
though  the  tangled  seclusion  was  greatly  preferable 
to  the  possible  publicity  of  the  country  road  where 

172 


CUPID    PICKS    THE   PATH  173 

be  had  met  her  while  riding  Roland.  Furthermore, 
she  would  not  speak  to  him  during  the  day,  but  insisted 
on  using  the  oak  tree  and  written  communications.  And 
this  was  carrying  things  to  extremes  because  she  had 
caused  a  small  pavilion  to  be  erected  in  the  corner  of 
the  Burton  grounds  so  close  to  the  oak  tree  that  she 
could  write  her  missives  in  the  pavilion  and  mail  them 
without  leaving  it.  Dick  was  getting  his  first  personal 
experience  of  feminine  unreason. 

This  pavilion  had  been  erected  to  mislead  the  young 
lady's  aunt,  who  was  inclined  toward  catechizing  and 
who  demanded  ample  reasons  for  any  change  of  rou- 
tine. A  book  and  a  note-book  seemed  ample  excuse 
for  a  maiden  seeking  the  privacy  of  a  pavilion,  and 
Bayard,  the  collie,  lent  dignity  and  safety  to  the  situa- 
tion. Not  that  lying  on  a  rug  and  waiting  for  some- 
thing to  happen  was  a  career  which  Bayard  would  have 
selected  had  his  choice  been  a  free  one.  Humans  are 
a  straining  trial  to  an  intelligent  and  discriminating 
dog. 

Strange  as  it  may  seem  to  those  who  have  not  ob- 
served closely,  or  who  have  forgotten,  Dick  and  the 
girl  scarcely  touched  on  family  affairs.  While  to- 
gether, they  had  even  forgotten  that  they  had  any.  Of 
course  it  is  undeniable  that  scientific  mating,  which 
would  take  into  account  inherited  tendencies,  would 
greatly  improve  the  human,  as  it  has  already  many  of 
the  brute  species,  but,  unfortunately,  most  marriages 
are  arranged  by  impulsive  young  things  who  forget 
that  there  are  more  than  two  members  of  the  human 
race,  and  what  is  even  more  disastrous,  entirely  over- 


174  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

look  the  possibility  of  the  membership  ever  being  in- 
creased. 

After  Dick  had  read,  re-read,  and  read  over  the 
notes,  he  scribbled  a  hasty  answer  which  pleaded  elo- 
quently for  a  prompt  interview,  and  then  he  hastened 
in  to  breakfast.  As  soon  as  this  was  finished,  he  and 
Mulligan  hurried  back  to  the  oak  tree.  It  was  still 
early  and  no  answer  was  waiting.  This  so  wrought*  on 
Dick's  nerves  that  he  tore  through  the  underbrush, 
filling  Mulligan  with  expectancy  and  causing  the  keep- 
ers endless  annoyance.  When  at  last  they  caught  up 
with  Dick,  he  made  it  perfectly  clear  that  there  was  an 
incompatibility  between  himself  and  them  which  no 
amount  of  attention  could  bridge,  and  after  they  had 
acted  on  Dick's  suggestion  and  had  gone  to  guard  the 
part  of  the  park  closest  to  the  Staunton  place,  Dick 
returned  to  the  woodsy  post-office  with  the  disap- 
pointed Mulligan,  and  was  elated  to  find  an  answer 
waiting  him. 

He  had  not  gone  to  the  trouble  of  erecting  a  pavilion 
on  his  side  of  the  fence.  A  tree  with  a  leaning  trunk, 
a  small  grassy  bank,  and  a  tangle  of  larch  and  wild 
grapevine  furnished  all  the  comforts  and  seclusion 
which  he  demanded ;  and  until  it  was  time  for  him  to 
attend  the  luncheon  with  the  labor  leaders  and  the 
labor  stragglers,  a  constant  succession  of  notes  passed 
in  and  out  of  the  hollow  oak.  Occasionally  a  strong 
brown  hand  met  a  slender  one,  but  the  owner  of  the 
slender  hand  resisted  pressure,  even  though  she  did 
not  entirely  flee  its  temptation,  and  when  Dick  was 
at  last  forced  to  tear  himself  away,  she  still  refused 


CUPID    PICKS   THE   PATH  175 

to  grant  him  an  interview  at  the  exact  spot  where  they 
had  first  met. 

Dick  was  obsessed  with  this  romantic  fancy  and  he 
was  a  little  exasperated  as  he  ran  along  the  path,  ten 
minutes  too  late  to  receive  his  guests.  His  last  note 
had  been  a  trifle  peremptory,  and  much  of  the  discus- 
sion which  took  place  at  the  luncheon  escaped  him 
because  his  mind  kept  wondering  what  effect  this  last 
note  would  have  on  its  recipient.  Even  during  his 
interview  with  his  uncle,  the  note  and  its  possible  re- 
sult insisted  on  claiming  as  much  of  his  attention  as 
possible. 

As  soon  as  he  left  his  uncle,  he  straightway  forgot 
him,  and  with  the  skeptical,  but  still  hopeful  Mulligan 
at  his  side,  sped  back  to  the  hollow  oak.  He  found  a 
note  inside.  The  note  had  neither  beginning  nor  end- 
ing. It  merely  stated :  "I  shall  accede  to  your  wish." 

He  read  it  through  many  times:  it  seemed  cold,  it 
seemed  to  hold  a  veiled  menace,  and  again  he  con- 
sidered the  contents  of  his  own  note.  He  had  merely 
pointed  out  that  inasmuch  as  he  was  leaving  home  for 
good,  he  felt  that  he  had  the  right  to  insist  on  a  mat- 
ter which,  while  trivial  in  itself,  would  mean  so  much 
to  him  during  all  the  rest  of  his  life. 

Perhaps  he  had  been  presuming,  perhaps  even  over- 
bearing ;  and  he  longed  for  an  opportunity  to  perfect 
the  arrangements,  or  even  free  her  from  her  promise  if 
it  was  as  distasteful  to  her  as  the  tone  of  her  note  im- 
plied, but  she  was  not  in  the  pavilion,  and  after  wait- 
ing until  it  began  to  grow  dark,  he  regretfully  left 
his  post  and  hurried  to  the  bench  upon  which  they  had 


176  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

sat  on  that  wonderful  "first  day"  which  seemed  so  long 
ago. 

He  threw  himself  heavily  on  the  bench,  thrust  his 
hands  into  his  pockets,  dropped  his  head  forward,  and 
began  to  think.  He  thought  deeply,  he  thought 
rapidly,  but  it  must  be  confessed  that  the  proletariat 
was  as  far  from  his  thoughts  as  was  the  pterodactyl 
or  the  saber-toothed  tiger.  Mulligan  drew  nigh  and 
rested  a  heavy  chin  on  his  knee,  the  while  his  soft 
brown  eyes  sent  forth  waves  of  sympathy;  but  Mulli- 
gan might  as  well  have  been  the  bench  on  which  his 
master  sat. 

After  a  few  moments  spent  in  waiting  the  strain 
became  unbearable,  and  Dick  sprang  to  his  feet  and 
hurried  cautiously  along  the  path  in  the  direction  from 
which  the  girl  had  originally  come,  the  dejected  Mul- 
ligan following  doggedly,  very  doggedly,  after.  When 
they  reached  the  point  where  the  path  branched  into 
three,  Dick  stepped  into  a  dense  shadow  and  again 
waited.  Mulligan  threw  himself  on  the  grass  with  a 
guttural  sigh.  His  master  was  not  aware  that  an 
opportunity  for  dinner  had  been  missed;  Mulligan 
was. 

Again  the  moments  spent  in  inaction  tore  at  his 
nerves,  and  soon  Dick  was  walking  swiftly,  but  cau- 
tiously, down  the  path  which  led  toward  the  Burton 
place.  The  moon  had  risen  and  threw  shadows  which 
played  strange  tricks  with  his  eyes.  He  was  wearing 
his  rough  tweed  suit  and  puttees,  and  as  he  stole 
along  with  every  sense  alert,  an  odd  undercurrent  of 
pleasure  flowed  through  his  anxiety.  He  was  so  much 


CUPID    PICKS    THE    PATH  177 

alive  that  the  body  of  him  rejoiced  in  spite  of  his 
mental  state. 

After  exploring  each  of  the  paths,  returning  to  the 
bench,  and  still  failing  in  his  quest,  a  wave  of  suspicion 
swept  over  him.  She  had  fooled  him,  she  had  never 
intended  to  come,  she  had  merely  played  with  him. 
Hot  anger  took  possession  of  him  and  he  started 
toward  the  house,  but  with  every  step  the  reaction  grew 
apace,  and  finally,  his  faith  returning  stronger  than 
ever,  he  paused  and  was  on  the  point  of  turning 
around  when  he  heard  an  indistinct  noise,  some  dis- 
tance ahead  and  a  little  to  the  left. 

He  stooped  and  seizing  Mulligan  by  the  neck,  he 
whispered  hoarsely:  "Don't  you  dare  to  make  a 
sound." 

Giving  the  dog  a  threatening  toss,  which  effectually 
impressed  him  with  the  seriousness  of  the  case,  Dick 
crept  cautiously  forward.  They  were  close  to  9,  small 
but  massive  stone  building  in  which  had  been  formerly 
kept  a  grizzly  bear  which  a  misguided  friend  of  his 
uncle's  had  sent  him  when  the  bear  was  a  roly-poly  cub. 
As  the  bear  was  approaching  maturity,  Dick's  faculty 
for  original  research  resulted  in  the  escape  of  the  bear, 
and  when  he  was  finally  recaptured  it  was  considered 
to  the  best  interest  of  all  concerned  that  he  take  up 
his  future  residence  in  the  Bronx  Zoo.  The  openings 
in  the  den  through  which  the  cub  had  passage  to  a 
small  steel-barred  yard,  had  been  bricked  so  that  the 
mushrooms  which  at  one  time  Dick  thought  he  would 
enjoy  cultivating  might  have  suitable  darkness;  and 
it  was  the  creaking  of  the  rusty  hinges  on  the  door  to 


1 78  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

this  stone  building  which  had  attracted  Dick's  atten- 
tion. 

He  stole  cautiously  forward  and  'from  a  dense 
shadow  he  saw  one  of  the  keepers  locking  the  ponder- 
ous lock,  while  the  other  keeper  stood  near.  This 
aroused  Dick's  curiosity,  but  the  next  moment  an 
emotion  was  aroused  which  hardened  all  his  muscles 
and  made  him  take  an  involuntary  step  forward.  He 
distinctly  heard  the  voice  of  the  girl,  the  one  girl, 
coming  from  the  inside  of  the  den,  and  pleading  for 
freedom. 

For  one  brief  moment  an  angry  shout  rose  to 
Dick's  lips,  and  then  he  became  strangely  cool,  un- 
naturally deliberate.  The  shout  did  not  escape  his  lips. 
He  seemed  to  be  sitting  comfortably  in  a  large  office 
while  plan  after  plan  presented  itself,  argued  its  cause, 
was  refused,  and  passed  on  to  give  place  to  the  next 
plan.  He  must  free  the  girl  without  disclosing  her 
identity.  In  order  to  do  this,  he  must  not  appear  in 
the  case  himself  until  after  she  had  plenty  of  time  to 
reach  her  own  home.  The  keepers  were  Austrians  of 
large  size  and  obstinate  tempers :  these  interesting  facts 
he  had  learned  from  Ivan  on  his  return,  and  he  rightly 
suspected  that  his  abuse  of  the  day  keepers  had 
been  communicated  to  those  who  had  the  night  shift 
and  was  not  very  likely  to  increase  his  popularity  with 
them. 

It  required  some  time  for  all  the  prompt  plans  to 
pass  a  given  point;  and  in  the  meantime  the  keepers 
had  separated  and  gone  in  opposite  directions.  He 
could  not  quite  decide  on  future  strategy,  but  there  was 


CUPID    PICKS   THE    PATH  179 

no  question  as  to  the  next  step :  he  must  reassure  the 
girl. 

There  were  no  windows  in  the  den.  Light  had 
formerly  been  admitted  through  horizontal  slits,  six 
inches  wide,  but  these  also  had  been  bricked  up.  The 
moonlight,  which  was  now  fairly  strong,  filtered  in 
through  the  branches  and  fell  on  one  of  these  slits, 
showing  where  several  of  the  bricks  had  fallen  out; 
but  even  if  all  of  them  were  removed,  the  opening 
in  the  stone  would  have  been  too  narrow  to  permit 
escape.  Dick  crept  up  to  the  door  and  gave  a  low  call. 

Instantly  the  noise  on  the  inside — which  had  been 
a  species  of  dry  sobbing — ceased,  and  Dick  said : 
"Hush,  it  is  I." 

"I  hate  you,"  came  the  prompt  reply. 

"I  don't  blame  you,"  responded  Dick,  after  recover- 
ing from  the  shock  and  hesitating  long  enough  to 
look  at  things  as  they  were,  "but  first  you  must — " 

"Why  did  you  lure  me  here?"  demanded  the  girl. 

"Don't  be  silly,"  said  Dick  indignantly.  "I  did  not 
lure  you  here.  I  do  not  want  you  here.  I  have  been 
hunting  all  over  the  park  for  you.  Where  on  earth 
have  you  been  ?" 

"Oh,  this  is  terrible !"  came  the  irrelevant  response. 
"Aunty  became  suspicious  and  insisted  on  entertain- 
ing me  most  of  the  afternoon  and  after  dinner.  I 
fairly  had  to  steal  away  for  my  usual  walk,  and  then  I 
was  between  two  dilemmas — " 

"Make  it  as  short  as  you  can,"  encouraged  Dick. 

"Well,  I  couldn't  leave  Bayard  at  home  or  they 
would  know  something  unusual  was  about  to  happen, 


i8o  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

and  I  couldn't  bring  him  with  me  because  one  of  the 
keepers  or  Mulligan — " 

"What  the  deuce  did  you  do?"  asked  Dick,  who 
thoroughly  appreciated  the  impossible  situation. 

"I  tied  him  to  a  fence  post  in  the  Staunton  pasture," 
answered  the  girl. 

"He'll  gnaw  the  rope  and  go  home,"  said  Dick  pes- 
simistically. 

"It  was  a  chain,"  said  the  girl,  but  without  en- 
thusiasm. "I  think  their  cow  is  in  the  pasture  and  if 
it  comes  near,  Bayard  will  make  a  fuss.  Then  the 
whole  neighborhood  will  be  aroused." 

"I  had  better  get  the  dog  before  I  rescue  you,"  said 
Dick. 

"Don't  you  dare!"  cried  the  girl.  "It  is  perfectly 
horrid  in  here.  If  they  find  him,  they  will  think  he 
has  been  stolen — maybe." 

"No,  they  will  think  that  you  have  been  kidnapped," 
answered  Dick,  who  was  still  without  a  plan  of  his 
own  and  therefore  refused  a  ray  of  hope  to  penetrate 
their  gloom. 

"Why  don't  you  let  me  out?"  asked  the  girl.  Dick 
was  thinking  and  the  question  did  not  seem  of  sufficient 
importance  to  interrupt  his  train  of  thought.  "Oh, 
\vhere  are  you?"  cried  the  girl. 

"Not  so  loud,"  cautioned  Dick  sternly,  "you  are  not 
on  a  golf  links !"  A  plan  had  flashed  into  his  head  and 
the  clouds  had  lifted.  "I  must  leave  you  for  a  while 
now  and  you  must  remain  perfectly  quiet.  It  will  be 
all  right  if  you  do  just  what  I  say." 

"Oh,  I  shall  die,  if  you  leave  me  alone  in  here,"  ob- 


CUPID    PICKS    THE    PATH  181 

jected  the  girl.  "It  was  doing  just  what  you  said  that 
brought  me  here.  I  knew  all  the  time  it  was  perfectly 
silly,  but  you — " 

"The  past  is  beyond  our  control,"  suggested  Dick 
sagely.  "The  only  way  that  I  can  get  you  out  is  to 
take  one  of  my  friends  into  my  confidence  and  then  it 
will  be  simple." 

"Yes,  and  then  somebody  else  will  know  about  it," 
protested  the  girl. 

"Well,  if  I  stay  on  the  outside,  and  you  on  the 
inside  until  morning,  everybody  else  will  know  about 
it,  won't  they?"  demanded  Dick,  sinking  to  logic. 

"I  don't  want  to  be  left  alone,"  responded  the  girl. 

"I  am  going  now,"  said  Dick  firmly.  "It  is  the  only 
way.  I  have  faith  in  you.  Don't  make  me  lose  it." 

"I  had  faith  in  you,  too,"  began  the  girl;  but  he 
was  gone,  running  toward  the  house,  almost  without 
caution.  Mulligan  followed  close  at  heel,  hoping  that 
he  would  eventually  get  a  clue  to  the  protracted  in- 
sanity of  his  master. 

Upon  reaching  the  house,  Dick  first  procured  two 
pieces  of  light,  fine  rope,  and  then  stole  cautiously  up 
to  the  cook's  bedroom.  He  knew  it  was  her  evening 
out,  but  he  especially  dreaded  a  meeting  with  Gladys. 
He  reached  the  room  in  safety,  found  a  light  burn- 
ing, selected  a  dark,  one-piece  dress,  and  stole  down 
the  stairs  and  out  the  side  door  again. 

After  hiding  the  dress,  he  carefully  raised  himself 
on  the  sill,  and  peered  through  a  dining-room  window. 
Emil,  with  upraised  finger,  was  enlarging  on  the 
effect  of  Caesar's  assassination,  while  Ivan  shook  his 


1 82  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

head  in.  negation.  With  a  sigh  of  relief,  Dick  dropped 
to  the  ground  and  gave  a  low  whistle.  In  response  to 
the  signal,  Ivan  came  to  the  window,  and  Dick  beck- 
oned to  him  while  he  kept  one  finger  on  his  lips.  Ivan 
understood  and  telling  Emil  to  remember  his  argument 
until  his  return,  he  hastened  to  join  Dick. 

As  he  came  down  the  steps  Dick  placed  his  hand  on 
his  shoulder,  and  said  impressively :  "Ivan,  I  have  need 
of  you." 


CHAPTER  XVII 

IVAN  CRAWLS  UNDER  THE  MACHINE 

A  GLAD  thrill  shot  through  the  Russian  at  the 
**•  words.  He  noted  Dick's  suppressed  excitement 
and  his  heart  was  glad.  At  last  the  hour  had  come,  at 
last  a  great  blow  was  to  be  struck  for  the  cause,  and 
with  his  whole  heart  in  it,  he  gave  his  hand  to  his 
friend  in  a  mighty  grip.  He  asked  no  questions,  the 
fervor  of  his  grasp  indicated  that  he  was  content  to 
await  developments,  and  would  then  do  his  part,  let 
that  part  be  what  it  might. 

Dick  felt  this  and  a  new  confidence  welled  up  in  his 
breast.  He  turned  toward  the  spot  where  he  had 
hidden  the  dress,  and  in  turning,  stumbled  against 
Mulligan,  who  felt  sure  that  the  mysterious  disclosure 
was  soon  to  be  made.  %"First,"  said  Dick,  "we  must 
dispose  of  the  dog." 

Mulligan  could  not  understand  and  so  he  offered  no 
objection  when  Dick  opened  the  cellar  door  and  un- 
ceremoniously thrust  him  inside,  but  when  the  door 
was  closed  between  himself  and  his  master  he  could 
not  restrain  a  whine  of  protest. 

"Silence,"  whispered  Dick.  "Go  down  the  stairs 
and  go  to  sleep.  Now,  come  along,  Ivan." 

As  Ivan  caught  step  with  him,  after  he  had  picked 
up  the  bundle,  Dick  proceeded  to  unfold  the  part  which 

183 


184  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

his  ally  was  to  take.  "You  must  be  as  silent  and  care- 
ful as  possible,  Ivan,"  he  said.  Ivan  nodded.  "We 
are  to  rescue  a  girl  whom  my  uncle  has  imprisoned." 

It  came  as  a  surprise  to  the  Russian.  He  was  aware 
that  American  freedom  was  largely  an  ideal,  but 
still,  he  had  never  heard  of  a  private  individual  impris- 
oning girls,  except  in  the  slums,  and  the  situation  sur- 
prised him.  "A  girl  whom  your  uncle  has  impris- 
oned?" he  repeated. 

"Yes,"  replied  Dick.  "It  is  necessary  to  rescue  her 
without  disclosing  her  identity,  or  letting  it  be  known 
that  I  took  any  part  in  it." 

"Certainly,"  responded  Ivan.     "Is  she  a  socialist  ?" 

"Not  exactly,"  answered  Dick,  "but  she  will  be  some 
time." 

"Then  why  did  he  imprison  her?"  asked  Ivan,  who 
was  prepared  to  sacrifice  himself  gladly  for  a  political 
outlaw,  but  who  had  a  deep-seated  aversion  to  the 
ordinary  criminal. 

"Oh,  hang  it,  Ivan,  he's  a  crank,  a  fanatic.  First 
he's  childish  and  then  he's  a  monstrous  old  tyrant.  He 
built  that  heathen  fence  and  hired  those  pagan  guards, 
and  now  he  has  a  girl  imprisoned,  and  we're  going 
to  rescue  her.  Now  don't  talk.  I  have  everything 
figured  out  and  all  you  have  to  do  is  to  assist  me. 
Keep  your  eyes  and  ears  open  for  the  keepers.  I'll 
do  the  rest." 

Silently  as  painted  warriors,  they  stole  through  the 
park  until  they  reached  the  little  clearing  in  which 
stood  the  bear  den.  Here  Dick  paused  and  pointing 
toward  it  he  said :  "He's  got  her  in  there." 


IVAN    UNDER   THE   MACHINE       185 

Ivan  folded  his  arms,  shook  his  head,  and  remarked : 
"I  have  thought  it  over.  I  do  not  approve  of  it." 

"That's  all  right,"  said  Dick  heartily.  "You  don't 
have  to.  All  you  have  to  do  is  to  help." 

"Yes,"  protested  Ivan,  "but  I  do  not  like  to  help 
when  I  can  not  approve.     It  seems  all  wrong,  every- 
thing.    In  the  first  place  to  build  this  fence  in  free  ' 
America  seems  wrong,   in  the  second  place,   to  go 
against  your  uncle  seems  wrong,  in  the  third  place — " 

"Look  here,  Ivan,"  said  Dick,  tapping  him  on  the 
shoulder  with  a  stiff  forefinger,  "if  I  have  to  stand  here 
and  listen  while  you  put  a  numeral  to  all  the  wrongs  of 
the  present  age,  I  may  as  well  go  back  and  get  Emil. 
He's  quicker  at  figures  than  you." 

"That  is  true,"  admitted  Ivan,  "but  do  you  not,  your- 
self, wish  to  be  sure  that  you  are  right  before  you — " 

"Oh,  damn!"  ejaculated  Dick,  too  irritated  to  use 
care  in  the  selection  of  his  profanity.  "This  isn't  a 
case  like  the  next  revolution — something  to  be  done  in 
the  indefinite  future.  This  has  to  be  done  now." 

"I  can  not  see  why  he  imprisoned  her,"  replied  Ivan 
with  anxious  sincerity.  "She  must  have  done  some- 
thing ;  because  it  is  not  customary  to — " 

"Customary,"  moaned  Dick.  "Customary!  Listen, 
for  any  sake,  listen :  I  had  a  date  here  with  a — " 

"A  date?"  asked  the  puzzled  Ivan. 

"It's  slang,  you  know,"  explained  Dick.  "In  Arabia 
they  eat  dates,  in  your  beloved  country  they  use  them 
to  recall  the  moments  at  which  czars  have  been  blown 
up;  but  here  at  home,  they  merely  signify  an  engage- 
ment with  an  attractive  young  lady." 


1 86  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

"You  said  she  was  a  prisoner." 

"Well,  Great  Scott,  didn't  you  have  to  excuse  your- 
self from  Russia  because  you  were  caught  trying  to  de- 
prive Siberia  of  some  favorite  guest?" 

"That  was  in  a  great  cause,  not  merely  for  a  com- 
mon trespasser." 

"Common  trespasser!  Well,  you  have  the  nerve! 
Wait  until  you  have  seen  her.  Now,  then,  I  have  one 
of  the  cook's  dresses  in  this  bundle,  and  I  want  you  to 
put  it  on  and — " 

"Put  it  on?"  cried  the  astonished  Ivan.  "Why 
should  I  put  on  the  dress  of  a  cook?" 

"Ivan,  confound  you!"  said  Dick,  who  was  nearly 
at  the  end  of  his  patience.  "I  shall  be  glad  to  give  you 
all  the  details  your  heart  can  wish,  to-morrow,  but  this 
is  the  time  for  action."  He  let  the  dress  unfold  and 
held  it  invitingly  toward  his  ally.  "Come,  now,  get 
into  this  and  then — " 

"I  refuse,"  said  Ivan  stiffly.  "I  am  willing  to  do  all 
that  a  friend  should,  but  I  refuse  to  be  made  ridiculous 
for  no  reason.  Why  must  I  look  like  a  female  cook  ?" 

"Don't  flatter  yourself,"  returned  Dick,  "you  won't 
look  like  her.  She'd  pull  the  hair  off  any  one  who 
suggested  it.  But  she  is  the  only  one  of  sufficient  size 
whose  dress  I  could  get.  Now,  hop  into  it." 

Ivan  took  the  dress  gingerly  and  looked  at  it  intently 
while  his  face  wrinkled  with  conflicting  emotions. 
Presently,  as  though  turning  his  back  on  a  drowning 
friend,  he  handed  back  the  dress,  saying  sadly :  "No, 
I  can  not.  Never  in  all  my  life  have  I  hopped  into 
a  dress.  Even  when  I  escaped  from  Russia,  I  came 


IVAN    UNDER   THE   MACHINE       187 

dressed  as  a  man.  Was  it  for  this  I  came  to  America? 
No,  it  was  for  suffering  humanity." 

"Oh," — Dick  swallowed — "forget  suffering  human- 
ity. Humanity  is  so  hardened  to  suffering  by  this  time, 
that  it  won't  mind  keeping  it  up  the  little  time  that  this 
is  going  to  take  you.  I  can't  bother  with  you  any 
longer.  You  insisted  on  coming,  you  were  wild  for 
the  chance,  now  if  you  are  going  to  have  cold  feet,  why 
go  on  back,  and  I'll  risk  my  life  alone.  After  I  am — " 

"I  am  willing  to  risk  my  life  anywhere,  any  time, 
if  it  will  help  the  cause,  but  why  must  I  look  like  a 
cook  ?  My  feet  are  not  cold,  I  am  willing,  but  it  seems 
all  foolishness.  If  you  want  to  practise  at  making 
love—" 

"Don't  go  too  far  with  your  infernal  stupidity!" 
threatened  Dick,  and  then  recalling  the  nature  of  the 
subject  before  him,  resumed  frankly:  "This  is  the 
idea,  Ivan.  The  guards  are  armed.  If  they  saw 
two  men  prowling  about  they  would  shoot,  but  you 
dress  up  like  a  woman,  decoy  one  of  them  past  this  old 
building,  I  shall  hide  in  the  shadow,  throw  him,  tie 
him  up,  we'll  do  the  same  with  the  other  one,  fling 
them  both  into  the  prison,  rescue  the  girl,  and  there  you 
are.  It  is  strategy."  Dick  had  been  illustrating  the 
various  steps  in  pantomime,  and  he  finished  with  an 
impressive  gesture,  but  still  Ivan  was  unconvinced. 

"I  don't  like  it,"  he  said.  "Why  do  you  not  make 
love  in  the  established  form  of  your  country?" 

"Well,  you  are  the  Marathon  arguer,  all  right! 
There  is  no  established  form  in  this  country.  We  are 
an  original  people  and  we  each  make  love  in  a  different 


i88  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

manner.  And  besides," — as  an  inspiration  arrived — 
"this  is  a  poor  girl,  and  my  uncle  insists  that  I  marry  a 
rich  one." 

"Then  will  I  help  the  poor  girl,"  cried  Ivan,  a  glad 
light  springing  into  his  face,  "and  my  friend,  I  honor 
you  for  making  love  superior  to  riches." 

"At  last,"  murmured  the  relieved  Dick,  thrusting 
the  dress  into  Ivan's  arms.  "Now  hurry,  old  sport.  No, 
no,  it  goes  on  over  your  head — good!  Now  belt  it 
down.  Say,  you  make  a  regular  wood  nymph.  Now, 
sneak  down  this  path  and  lure  the  guard  after  you. 
When  he  passes  this  building,  I'll  throw  him  and  you 
jump  on  his  head  and  hold  him  while  I  tie  him." 

"Suppose  he  chases  me  the  other  way?" 

"I  don't  believe  you  ever  helped  a  man  out  of  Si- 
beria," said  the  disgusted  Dick.  "I  doubt  if  you  could 
get  a  canary  bird  out  of  a  cage.  If  he  comes  from  the 
wrong  way,  hide  until  he  goes  by,  then  cough  and  run. 
Cough  like  a  woman,  though." 

The  dress  only  reached  a  little  below  Ivan's  knees, 
and  as  he  stalked  into  the  woods,  striving  to  maintain 
as  much  dignity  as  possible,  Dick  was  forced  to 
smother  a  laugh ;  but  the  next  moment,  he  remembered 
the  girl  and  hurried  to  the  stone  building  where  he  gave 
a  low  call.  The  answering  call  was  very  plaintive,  and 
Dick  was  thoroughly  in  earnest  once  more.  "We'll  get 
you  out  in  a  few  minutes,  fairy  princess.  Is  there  any- 
thing inside  you  can  stand  on  to  look  out  of  that  little 
hole?"  he  asked  cheerily. 

"There  isn't  a  single  thing,"  came  the  reply  in  ac- 
cusing tones.  "It  is  the  dreariest  place  in  the  world.  I 


IVAN    UNDER   THE   MACHINE        189 

have  only  managed  to  exist  by  looking  at  the  ray  of 
moonlight  which  comes  in  at  that  hole.  Where  am  I  ?" 

"Now,  don't  worry,"  answered  Dick,  with  the  ex- 
aggerated confidence  with  which  one  soothes  a  child. 
"We'll  have  you  out  in  a  jiffy.  You  are  in  the  bear 
den."  A  startled  scream  came  from  the  inside.  "Hush, 
don't  do  that.  There  is  no  bear  there  now.  I  kept  a 
cub  when  I  was  a  kid.  I  wish  I  could  see  you, 
princess." 

"I  wish  I  could  get  out  of  here,"  was  the  rather  pro- 
saic response. 

"Are  you  sure  there  is  nothing  to  stand  on  ?" 

"Of  course  I  am.  Can't  you  get  me  out  at  once?" 

"No,  we  have  to  hive  the  two  keepers  first.  What 
are  you  sitting  on  ?" 

"I'm  not  sitting  at  all.  There  is  nothing  in  here  to 
sit  on." 

"What !  Does  my  heartless  uncle  expect  his  captives 
to  stand  up  all  night  in  the  dark  ?  He's  a  regular  vil- 
lain !  Never  mind,  it  won't  be  long  now.  This  is  lots  of 
fun  anyway,  don't  you  think  so?" 

"No,  I  don't.  I  think  it's  horrid." 

"Oh,  you'll  see  the  other  side  after  it's  all  over. 
This '11  be  a  good  yarn  to  tell  the  children  when  you're , 
a  gray-haired  grandmother,  won't  it?"  chuckled  Dick, 
whose  wayward  fancy  had  gone  far  afield.  He  waited 
in  vain  for  an  answer,  and  then  said :  "Can't  you  hear 
what  I  say?" 

"I  can  hear  part  of  it ;  but  why  don't  you  do  some- 
thing to  get  me  out  ?  I — " 

"Hush,"  cautioned  Dick,  "some  one  is  coming  up 


190  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

the  path.  Now  keep  quiet,  and  be  ready  to  obey  or- 
ders." 

He  dropped  behind  some  bushes  which  clustered 
about  the  corner  of  the  den,  and  carefully  leaned  for- 
ward until  his  view  commanded  the  path.  The  figure 
which  he  had  seen  dimly  at  some  distance,  had  passed 
through  the  open  space  and  was  now  in  the  dense 
shadow.  As  it  drew  closer,  he  saw  that  it  was  dressed 
as  a  woman,  but  was  walking  without  caution.  As  it 
drew  near  to  the  den,  Dick  sprang  out  angrily,  demand- 
ing :  "What  the  deuce  did  you  come  back  for  ?  I  told 
you—" 

Dick  paused  in  astonishment,  it  was  not  Ivan,  it  was 
Miss  Burton.  "That  will  do,"  she  replied  with  dignity. 
"You  call  yourself  the  Inspector  of  Grounds  but  I 
have—" 

"I  beg  your  pardon  for  being  so  abrupt,"  said  Dick, 
"but  I  never  expected  to  see  you  here  at  this  time  of 
night.  Still  my  orders  are  explicit,  and  you  must  leave 
at  once  or — " 

"That  will  do,"  repeated  Miss  Burton  sternly.  "I  do 
not  permit  impertinence  from  a  hireling.  Your  master 
has  given  me  permission  to  come  here  as  much  as  I 
please." 

"He  has,  huh?"  questioned  Dick. 

"Certainly.  If  you  doubt  my  word,  call  your  under- 
lings, who  took  me  before  him  early  this  very  evening. 
Have  you  seen  the  young  girl  who  was  walking  here 
with  her  dog  on  the  occasion  when — " 

"Yes — that  is,  no,  but  I  expect  to.  I  mean  I  hope 
I  shall  not,  but  if  I  do — " 


IVAN    UNDER   THE    MACHINE        191 

"It  is  evident  that  you  are  trying  to  tell  an  untruth. 
Something  has  happened  to  her  and  if  any  of  this 
household  are  responsible  for  it,  the  law  in  its  most 
retributive  form  shall  be  used  on  them." 

"I  sympathize  with  you,"  said  Dick,  who  wished  her 
at  the  bottom  of  the  Red  Sea,  "but  I  can  not  help  you. 
You  must  leave  at  once,  or  I  shall  lock  you  up  in  this 
building.  I  am  sorry,  but  these  are  my  orders." 

Miss  Burton  stepped  back  and  looked  at  him.  His 
face  was  firm  in  the  moonlight,  but  still  it  was  not  a 
naturally  hard  face  and  she  concluded  to  make  an  ap- 
peal. "You  have  a  good  face,"  she  said  frankly,  "and 
I  am  sure  that  some  misfortune  has  forced  you  to  ac- 
cept such  a  mean  position.  I  am  going  to  throw  myself 
on  your  mercy,  and  if  you  have  any  kindly  feelings  left 
for  your  own  mother  or  sister,  I  am  sure  that  you  will 
not  betray  my  confidence.  This  young  girl  is  under  my 
care,  she  is  wayward  and  headstrong,  but  until  lately 
she  has  been  perfectly  docile."  The  girl  inside  stamped 
her  foot  at  the  word  docile.  She  did  not  care  for  ad- 
jectives usually  applied  to  the  domestic  animals.  "But 
lately,  she  has  been  acting  strangely,  and  to-night  she 
went  for  a  walk  against  my  will.  Her  mother  is  not 
living  and  if  her  father,  who  is  a  stern  and  exacting 
man  were  to — " 

"Yes,  but  perhaps  she  is  home  already.  Why  don't 
you  return  and  search  your  own  grounds  ?"  asked  Dick, 
who  expected  Ivan  and  the  keeper  at  any  moment  and 
had  no  plan  for  dealing  with  the  new  complication. 

"I  have  just  come  from  there.  She  went  up  the  road, 
I  know  that  much;  but  you  see  if  she  has  come  to  no 


192  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

harm,  I  should  hate  to  expose  what  may  only  be  a 
slight  indiscretion  on  her  part ;  while  at  the  same  time 
I  am  haunted  by  all  these  black-hand  stories  in  the 
newspapers  and  feel  that  perhaps  I  should  telegraph 
her  father.  You  see — " 

"That  would  be  utter  folly,"  said  Dick  sweepingly. 
"She  is  all  right,  she  has  probably — " 

"You  know  absolutely  nothing  about  it,  and  there- 
fore—" 

"Yes,  I  do  know  something  about  it,"  said  Dick 
sharply.  He  was  becoming  desperate  and  had  decided 
to  change  his  tactics.  "She  and  that  shepherd  dog  did 
come  on  these  grounds  a  while  ago.  I  set  my  bulldog 
on  them  and  they  ran  through  the  hedge  on  to  the 
Staunton  place." 

"You  told  me  your  dog  would  not  bite  a  human  be- 
ing. I  prayed  for  fifteen  minutes  before  I  gained  the 
strength  to  come  here  in  the  dark,  and  it  was  what  you 
said  that  finally  convinced  me  that  if  I  did  my  duty, 
I  should  come  to  no  harm.  Building  that  horrible 
fence  has  aroused  her  resentment  and  I  fear  that  the 
spirit  of  mischief  or  adventure  or — " 

"The  dog  wouldn't  attack  a  human  being  unless  I 
set  him  on,"  said  Dick;  but  as  an  expression  of  relief 
came  into  Miss  Burton's  face,  he  hastened  to  say :  "but 
he  was  bitten  by  a  shepherd  dog  a  few  days  ago,  and 
I  fear  he  is  going  mad." 

For  a  moment  Miss  Burton  faced  him  with  staring 
eyes  and  then  she  took  a  step  toward  him.  "Good 
heavens,  there  is  no  knowing  what  may  have  happened 
to  that  poor  child!"  she  exclaimed.  "You  must  help 


IVAN    UNDER   THE    MACHINE        193 

me  find  her.    You  must  save  her.    It  is  your  fault. 
You—" 

Dick  folded  his  arms  and  put  on  an  utterly  reckless 
expression.  "It  is  not  my  fault,"  he  said  coldly.  "I 
am  under  orders.  Whatever  happens — 

Miss  Burton  put  her  hand  pleadingly  on  his  arm. 
"Oh,  you  can't  be  so  cruel,"  she  said.  "Think—" 

"Listen!"  cried  Dick,  casting  her  roughly  off  and 
putting  his  hand  to  his  ear.  "One  of  the  keepers  just 
fired.  It  may  have  been  at  the  dog.  If  he  should  come 
this  way,  I  can't  be  bothered  with  you.  It  may  have 
been  only  another  trespasser" — he  threw  in  for  good 
measure — "but  I  think  it  was  the  dog.  Now  a  mad  dog 
will  not  go  near  water,  you  know.  You  run  down  this 
path  toward  the  house.  There  is  a  fountain  in  front 
of  the  house.  Run  around  the  house  and  out  the  front 
gate.  Hurry!" 

He  started  with  her,  gave  her  a  gentle  shove  after 
she  had  fairly  entered  the  path,  and  as  he  watched  her 
running  nervously  in  the  direction  of  the  house,  he 
gave  a  long  sigh  of  relief. 

Pulling  himself  together,  he  returned  to  the  den  and 
called :  "Did  you  hear  what  we  said,  fairy  princess  ?" 

"Don't  call  me  fairy  princess  any  more,"  answered 
a  tearful  voice.  "I  feel  perfectly  hopeless.  We  can 
never  straighten  out  this  terrible  tangle  now — and  it  is 
all  your  fault." 

"If  you  think  there  is  any  danger  of  your  forgetting 
that  part  of  it,  I  shall  write  it  on  a  leaf  of  my  note- 
book and  throw  it  in  to  you,"  said  Dick  dryly-  "You 
may  imagine  that  I  planned  just  such  an  evening  as 


194  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

this;  but  I  assure  you  that  your  enjoyment  is  only  a 
very  slight  shade  less  than  my  own." 

"Why  don't  you  get  me  out?"  she  asked. 

"You  have  to  set  up  the  pins  before  you  can  knock 
them  down,"  answered  Dick. 

"I  don't  know  what  you  mean;  but  I  want  to  get 
home  before  word  is  sent  to  my  father.  I  know  my 
hair  is  turning  gray." 

"Hush,"  cautioned  Dick  again.  "I  think  it  is  all 
right  this  time.  Now,  not  a  word." 

He  dropped  into  the  shadow  behind  the  clump  of 
trees,  and  fastened  his  gaze  upon  the  path.  He  saw 
two  figures  approaching,  one  of  them  wearing  a  dress, 
and  a  few  feet  in  advance  of  the  other  but  walking  very 
slowly.  Just  before  entering  the  small  glade,  they 
paused  in  the  heavy  shadow  and  seemed  to  be  em- 
bracing. 

"He  must  be  crazy,"  muttered  Dick. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

CLASHES  AND  CRASHES 

~*HE  count  was  not  a  nice  man.  He  was  extremely 
-*•  careless  as  to  methods,  and  he  was  so  supremely 
selfish  that  unpleasant  results  to  others  were  of  no 
importance.  When  he  wanted  his  own  way,  he  endeav- 
ored to  get  it  and  used  whatever  tools  were  most  avail- 
able. 

When  Gladys  had  answered  his  signal  earlier  in  the 
evening,  he  had  kissed  her,  very  daintily;  and  had 
instructed  her  to  find  out  as  much  as  possible  of  the 
conversation  which  was  taking  place  between  Mr.  Ban- 
nington  and  his  private  secretary,  promising  to  go 
deeper  into  the  love  motif  as  soon  as  she  delivered  her 
report.  Gladys  did  not  crave  such  a  commission;  but 
she  was  fascinated  by  Lorrain's  manner — his  haughty 
disdain  interspersed  with  an  occasional  caress — and 
even  his  selfishness  seemed  the  seal  of  his  noble  origin. 

So  she  had  played  the  eavesdropper  for  him  (as  she 
had  often  done  in  a  less  degree  for  her  own  entertain- 
ment), and  when  she  had  brought  him  her  report,  he 
had  so  far  condescended  as  to  take  a  short  walk  in  the 
park  with  her.  He  did  not  do  this  as  payment  for  serv- 
ice. Not  at  all;  he  never  wasted  his  favors.  He  did 
this  to  prepare  for  the  possibility  of  needing  her  serv- 
ices at  some  future  time.  He  deserved  to  be  a  count 

195 


196  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

even  though  his  line  did  happen  to  be  the  wrong  branch" 
of  the  family. 

Gladys  had  a  good  head  for  styles,  but  a  poor  one 
for  figures;  and  her  information  was  almost  too  ab- 
stract to  be  valuable.  She  could  merely  tell  him  that 
there  was  a  large  government  contract  for  steel  to  be 
used  on  the  Panama  construction,  steel  for  three  new 
battle-ships,  and  steel  for  all  the  different  railroads  in 
the  world,  she  admitted  after  some  questioning  that  the 
railroads  had  been  enumerated,  but  could  not  recall 
them.  She  said  that  the  amount  of  the  Panama  con- 
tract was  to  be  exactly  two  million,  three  hundred  and 
sixty-five  thousand  dollars.  She  was  sure  of  the  fig- 
ures because  they  were  the  same  as  those  of  the  tele- 
phone number  of  her  best  friend  in  New  York.  Lor- 
rain  had  chided  her  for  not  being  sure  of  the  amount 
of  the  battle-ship  contracts,  or  even  if  they  were  gov- 
ernment contracts;  but  still  he  was  elated  and  recipro- 
cated by  being  unusually  affectionate. 

Poor  Lorrain  was  artistic  and  he  detested  making 
love  to  a  common  creature.  Gladys  wore  on  him  ter- 
ribly, and  he  was  trying  to  induce  her  to  return  home ; 
while  she  was  trying  to  induce  him  to  "speak  some 
more  poetry,  it  went  so  well  with  the  moonlight." 

As  they  lingered  in  the  shadow,  Dick  was  consumed 
with  a  desire  to  rush  forth  and  wring  Ivan's  neck,  for 
he  still  thought  that  Gladys  was  his  ally,  but  at  last 
the  figure  wearing  the  dress  came  rapidly  toward  where 
he  was  hiding,  while  the  man  followed  after.  As  he 
passed  close  to  Dick,  Dick  tackled  him  savagely.  Lor- 
rain uttered  a  startled  imprecation,  and  Dick  rolled  off 


197 

and  dove  into  the  bushes,  hoping  that  he  had  not  been 
recognized.  For  the  same  reason,  Lorrain  sprang  to 
his  feet  and  ran  toward  the  house. 

Dick  leaned  against  a  tree.  "Lorrain  and  Gladys, 
Great  Scott!"  he  exclaimed  beneath  his  breath.  "Oh, 
this  is  only  a  dream.  Nothing  like  this  could  really 
happen.  I  suppose  my  respected  uncle  and  the  cook 
will  next  appear!" 

He  walked  over  to  the  den,  wondering  as  to  the  fate 
of  Ivan,  and  deciding  that  if  he  did  not  appear  shortly 
he  would  go  and  get  Emil.  "But  if  I  leave  here  and 
he  comes  back  and  is  captured  with  that  dress  on,  he'll 
commit  murder,"  he  said,  stopping  short  and  throwing 
out  his  arm  as  though  inviting  controversy.  "But,"  he 
added,  "if  I  delay  much  longer,  Miss  Burton  will  reach 
home  and  call  out  the  militia." 

He  composed  himself  with  an  effort  and  approached 
the  den.  "Did  you  hear  a  scuffle?"  he  called. 

"Yes,  I  did ;  and  I  can't  stand  this  another  minute. 
If  you  do  not  get  me  out  at  once,  I  shall  go  hysterical 
and  scream,  or  else  I  shall  faint." 

"No,  no,  you  mustn't!"  cried  Dick  in  alarm.  "It 
would  spoil  everything.  If  you  are  calm  enough  to 
make  choice  between  two  such  perfectly  silly  perform- 
ances, I  don't  see  why  you  can't  cut  them  both  out 
altogether." 

"Of  course  you  can't  see!"  angrily,  "you're  a  man, 
and  a  man  can  never  see  anything  except  something  to 
eat  or  drink.  What  kind  of  nerves  do  you  think  I 
have?  Here  I  am,  locked  up  in  a  bear  den,  my  family 
searching  the  neighborhood  for  me,  and  I  just  heard 


198  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

you  fighting  with  some  one.  Who  was  he?  Did  you 
injure  him?" 

"You  poor  little  thing,"  comforted  Dick.  "I  don't 
blame  you  a  bit.  It  was  only  a  fool  boy  flirting  with 
the  maid.  No,  I  did  not  injure  him.  Merely  fright- 
ened him.  I  never  injure  a  man  unless  it  is  absolutely 
necessary." 

"Will  you  please  tell  me  why  you  do  not  try  to  get 
me  out?  It  must  be  nearly  morning." 

"It  isn't  nine  o'clock.  I  thought  it  was  late,  myself; 
until  I  heard  the  clock  strike  down  in  Minster." 

"What  did  it  strike?" 

"It  struck  one,  for  half-past  eight,"  answered  Dick 
promptly. 

"Or  half  past  anything  else,  or  really  one,  and  I  am 
sure  it  will  strike  two  next.  Why  don't  you  do  some- 
thing?" 

"I  have  done  a  lot  of  things.  You're  unreasonable," 
replied  Dick.  "I  have  laid  plans  which  would  make 
Napoleon  green  with  envy,  and  in  a  few  minutes  I 
shall —  Hist!  I  think  it  is  about  to  happen." 

Dick  dropped  into  his  shadow,  and  the  next  instant 
Ivan  burst  from  the  path,  running  high  and  holding  his 
skirts  nearly  to  his  waist.  Close  behind  him  was  the 
smaller  keeper,  running  low,  and  gaining  at  every  step. 
Just  as  he  was  passing  Dick,  he  reached  forth  to  seize 
his  quarry,  Dick  tackled  as  four  years'  coaching  had 
taught  him  how,  shut  the  keeper's  knees  together  as 
with  a  vise ;  and  the  next  moment  they  were  struggling 
on  the  ground,  Dick  uppermost,  and  the  keeper  breath- 
less from  shock,  mental  and  physical.  Ivan  tried  to 


CLASHES   AND   CRASHES  199 

assist,  became  tangled  in  his  skirts,  and  fell  in  a  heap 
on  the  keeper's  head,  which  had  a  tendency  further  to 
delay  the  man's  recovery.  As  soon  as  Ivan  had  seized 
the  keeper's  wrists,  Dick  took  one  of  the  ropes  and 
bound  him  securely. 

"Where- is  the  key  to  this  building?"  he  asked  in  a 
gruff,  muffled  voice. 

"I  haff  id  nod,"  answered  the  Austrian  thickly. 

"Where  is  it?"  demanded  Dick. 

"Te  other  keeper  haff  id,"  growled  the  man. 

"Just  for  that,  Willie,  youse  gits  a  gag  in  your 
mouth,"  said  Dick,  suiting  the  action  to  the  word. 
"Now,  Belinda,  just  a  little  lift  on  the  feet."  Ivan 
sulkily  lifted  the  feet  of  the  tightly  bound  man,  and 
after  they  had  carried  him  a  short  distance  into  the 
bushes  and  had  started  to  return,  Dick  threw  his  arm 
about  his  friend's  shoulder,  and  exclaimed :  "'Gee,  old 
sport,  I  haven't  had  so  much  fun  since  I  sophomored 
the  freshmen." 

Ivan  made  no  reply,  but  started  to  remove  his  dis- 
guise. Dick,  who  had  failed  to  notice  this,  continued 
after  a  moment's  pleasant  recollection:  "Now,  Ivan, 
just  pike  out  in  the  other  direction  and  trail  the  re- 
maining sleuth  to  his  doom.  He  ought  to  be  heading 
this  way  by  now,  if  they  have  any  plan  to  work  by  at 
all." 

Ivan  sat  down  on  the  grass,  elbows  on  knees,  chin 
in  hands.  "I  go  not  forth  again,"  he  stated.  "I  was 
taken  by  surprise  and  twice  was  I  nearly  captured. 
See — my  robe  is  ripped  crossways  and  also  up  and 
down." 


200  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

"What  do  you  care  ?"  argued  Dick.  "It  don't  belong 
to  you." 

"I  care  not  for  the  robe !"  returned  Ivan  angrily.  "I 
say  damn  to  the  robe !  But  think  of  my  shame  if  found 
in  the  garb  of  a  woman — of  a  cook." 

"That  is  true,  Ivan,"  said  Dick  in  a  low  sad  tone, 
affecting  to  give  up  all  hope.  "I  do  not  ask  you  to  risk 
yourself  further  and  I  fully  appreciate  the  noble  sacri- 
fice you  have  already  made.  I  should  never  have  asked 
you  in  the  first  place  if  I  could  have  seen  any  other 
way.  No,  not  even  in  the  holy  cause  of  friendship, 
would  I  have  asked  you;  but  it  was  to  save  the  good 
name  of  an  unfortunate  girl  whose  only  crime  is  pov- 
erty and — " 

"I  shall  do  it,  no  matter  what  happens !"  cried  Ivan, 
springing  to  his  feet. 

"Nobly  spoken,"  said  Dick,  lifting  his  hat  rever- 
ently. "Ivan,  you  are  a  true  hero,  you  have  conquered 
yourself.  He  who  conquers  himself  is —  I've  forgot- 
ten the  rest,  but  it  just  fits  the  occasion.  Now,  while 
you  are  recovering  your  breath,  I  have  one  small  favor 
to  ask  of  you.  This  poor  girl  inside  is  nearly  distracted. 
It  would  comfort  her  a  lot  if  she  could  hold  my  hand, 
just  for  a  minute.  You  see  how  high  that  small  open- 
ing is.  Would  you  mind  kneeling  under  it  for  a  sec- 
ond; while  I  stand  on  your  back  and  reach  my  arm 
through  ?" 

"This  is  too  much!  I  have  stooped  to  become  a 
woman  for  you;  but  I  refuse  to  put  myself  beneath  the 
heel  of  any  man." 

"As  a  figure  of  speech,  this  phrase  has  a  most  hu- 


CLASHES    AND   CRASHES  201 

miliating  significance ;  but  literally,  there  is  nothing  to 
it.  I  have  myself  been  beneath  the  heels  of  eleven  men 
at  the  same  time,  and  they  were  applied  with  emphasis, 
and  not  with  the  loving  care  that  I  shall  use — or  I'll 
stand  on  my  toes,  just  to  please  you." 

"There  is  no  sense  in  it.  Think  of  it — me  in  a  wom- 
an's garb,  beneath  the  heel  of  a  man!" 

"Great  guns,  you  have  told  me  a  hundred  times  that 
for  countless  generations  your  line  has  been  ground 
beneath  the  heel  of  tyranny.  Look  what  grand  training 
this  was ;  and  anyway,  there  is  nothing  in  this  to  wound 
your  dignity.  I  would  gladly  kneel  and  let  you  stand 
on  me  and  put  your  hand  in;  but  it  wouldn't  answer 
the  purpose.  Even  in  the  dark,  hands  are  purely  indi- 
vidualistic and  she  wouldn't  get  any  comfort  out  of 
your  hand.  Haven't  you  ever  been  in  love  ?" 

"No,  I  have  never  stooped  to  selfish  love.  My  love 
is  for  the  entire  human  race." 

"This  is  the  age  of  specialists,  Ivan,  and  if  you 
would  concentrate  your  love  on  just  one  woman,  it 
would  pay  a  heap  sight  bigger  dividends.  But  this  is 
only  a  bit  of  sentiment,  and  I  shall  not  urge  you.  You 
have  already  proven  your  friendship.  Go  and  decoy 
the  other — " 

"I  have  put  my  hand  to  the  plow,"  sighed  Ivan,  "an 
extra  furrow  will  not  matter." 

Holding  his  skirt  bunched  in  front  of  him,  Ivan 
stalked  to  the  den  and,  as  though  preparing  for  the 
guillotine,  knelt  beneath  the  opening.  "I  am  ready," 
he  said  bravely. 

Dick  had  been  forced  to  bite  his  lips  at  Ivan's  prep- 


202  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

arations ;  but  as  the  fullness  of  his  sacrifice  came  over 
him,  he  patted  Ivan  on  the  head  and  said  with  sincere 
feeling:  "I'll  square  up  for  this,  old  boy,  if  we  both 
get  out  alive." 

He  placed  one  foot  gently  on  Ivan's  shoulder  and 
the  other  on  his  hips,  and  reached  his  hand  through  the 
opening.  "Can  you  reach  my  hand,  dearie?"  he  asked. 

A  few  hours  earlier  the  girl  would  have  vehemently 
denied  having  the  slightest  desire  to  hold  his  hand; 
but  great  changes  had  taken  place  during  her  brief 
term  of  imprisonment,  and  Dick  was  playing  a  much 
larger  trump  than  he  was  aware  of.  "Yes,"  she  an- 
swered with  a  little  catch  in  her  voice.  "Oh,  Dick" — 
this  was  the  first  time  she  had  ever  called  him  Dick, 
and  yet  he  did  not  notice  it — "Oh,  Dick,  this  is  such  a 
comfort.  You  won't  leave  me  again  until  you  get  me 
out — will  you?" 

Ivan  twisted  his  neck  and  looked  up  anxiously. 

"You  know  that  I  never  wish  to  leave  you  again," 
answered  Dick,  and  Ivan's  expression  of  anxiety  deep- 
ened ;  "but  I'll  have  to  let  go  in  a  minute  to  capture  the 
other  keeper." 

Ivan's  head  drooped  in  relief. 

"You  must  be  careful  not  to  be  hurt,"  cautioned  the 
girl. 

"Don't  worry,"  scoffed  Dick.  "I  can  take  care  of 
myself.  We  have  one  guard  safely  tied  and  you  will 
be  out  again  on  the  next  down.  I  wish  you  could  climb 
up  and  look  out.  It's  great  sport." 

Ivan  was  anxious  to  bring  things  to  a  close  and  be- 
gan to  squirm. 


CLASHES    AND   CRASHES  203 

"Oh,  I  do  want  to  be  out ;  but  I  shall  be  wretched 
again  as  soon  as  you  let  go  my  hand." 

"Do  you  smoke?"  asked  Dick.  "That's  a  heap  of 
comfort." 

"Of  course  I  don't,"  she  replied  indignantly. 

"Don't  get  cross  about  it;  I  once  knew  a  Sunday- 
school  teacher  that  did.  Here,  cut  that  out !" — to  Ivan 
who  had  begun  to  jostle  up  and  down. 

"What  did  ycu  say  ?"  she  asked. 

"I  shall  have  to  go  now — sweetheart."  The  word 
came  falteringly,  and  Dick  waited  with  apprehension. 

"No,  don't  go  yet,"  and  Dick's  heart  gave  a  leap  of 
gladness ;  but  just  then  Ivan's  patience  reached  its  limit, 
and  he  rolled  over,  leaving  Dick  suspended  by  the  arm. 
He  gave  a  last,  hasty  squeeze,  and  dropped  to  the 
ground. 

Ivan  had  risen  to  his  feet,  and  Dick  grasped  his  hand 
warmly,  slapped  him  on  the  shoulder,  and  said  dra- 
matically :  "Forth,  Ivan,  forth  to  glory !" 

Ivan  started  forth  to  glory  but  it  was  evident  that 
his  armor  was  composed  mostly  of  resignation. 

"Are  you  still  there  ?"  asked  the  girl. 

"You  can  count  on  me  being  here  until  you  are 
rescued,"  promised  Dick. 

"Can't  you — find — something  else  to  stand  on?"  was 
the  next  question. 

"There  isn't  a  single  thing  here,"  he  replied;  "but 
keep  a  stout  heart.  It  will  soon  be  over." 

After  a  short  silence  she  asked :  "Why  did  you  want 
to  see  me  to-night  ?" 

"To  say  good-by,"  answered  Dick  soberly. 


204  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

"Good-by?" 

"Yes,  I  am  going  to  leave  home  for  good  to-night." 

Alaska,  Africa,  the  headwaters  of  the  Amazon, 
flashed  before  the  girl's  vision.  "Where  are  you  go- 
ing?" she  asked  in  a  low  tone. 

"To  New  York,"  he  replied  somberly. 

"Oh,"  she  responded  with  a  rising  inflection. 

"I  am  going  to  work,"  he  continued  as  though  work 
was  an  adventure  which  few  had  undertaken  and  none 
survived. 

"Work?"  she  questioned  in  amazement. 

"Yes,  I  shall  start  in  poverty  and  rise  to  wealth.  I 
don't  mind  the  work;  but  I  can't  bear  to  leave  you. 
We've  had  bully  times,  playing  boy  and  girl,  haven't 
we?" 

The  girl  was  forced  to  swallow.  Even  New  York 
seemed  a  long,  long  way  off,  now.  "Yes,"  she  an- 
swered. 

"Well,  I,  at  least,  won't  forget  them,"  he  said. 

She  waited  a  moment  and  the  darkness  seemed  very 
empty  and  the  wall  very  thick.  "Dick,"  she  called, 
"can't  you  give  me  a  cigar,  just  to  hold  for  company  ?" 

Did  he  laugh?  He  did  not,  he  winked  his  eyes  rap- 
i  idly  and  tossed  a  cigar  at  the  small  opening.  At  the 
third  attempt  it  slipped  in,  and  he  asked :  "Did  you  get 
it?" 

"Yes,  it  fell  right  at  my  feet.  It  is  awfully  damp  in 
here." 

"Mushrooms  need  dampness,"  he  replied,  with  what 
she  considered  inexcusable  irrelevance;  but  the  next 
moment,  he  whispered,  "Silence — some  one  is  coming." 


CLASHES    AND   CRASHES  205 

He  dropped  into  the  shadow  and  soon  the  vague  out- 
line of  a  man  approached,  walking  slowly  and  hum- 
ming a  foreign  air.  Dick  had  dropped  so  suddenly  that 
the  man  had  passed  through  the  patch  of  bright  moon- 
light and  reentered  the  heavy  shadow  before  he  had 
time  to  examine  him ;  and  as  he  arrived  at  the  proper 
distance,  Dick  tackled,  threw  him  to  the  ground, 
placed  his  hand  over  his  mouth,  and  instantly  rose. 

"Great  Scott,  Emil,"  he  exclaimed,  as  he  helped  the 
prostrate  man  to  rise,  "I  didn't  know  it  was  you.  I 
beg  your  pardon,  old  man." 

"Pardon  ?"  the  German  exploded.  "It  is  not  a  cause 
for  pardon.  This  is  nicht  a  way  a  guest  to  treat.  For 
you,  I  haff  always  the  deepest  affection  and  respect 
had ;  but  this,  I  can  not  forgive  id !" 

"Now,  listen,  old  chap,"  said  Dick  soothingly,  as  he 
placed  his  hand  on  Emil's  shoulder.  "I  don't  want  you 
to  say  anything  you'll  be  sorry  for.  I  am  in  a  peck  of 
trouble,  and  I  took  you  for  an  enemy.  There  is  a  girl 
in  this,  I  shall  explain  all ;  but —  Here  get  in  here  and 
don't  breathe  until  I  tell  you  to." 

He  seized  Emil  without  ceremony,  jerked  him  into 
the  clump  of  bushes  and  forced  him  to  the  grass,  just 
as  Ivan  crossed  the  patch  of  moonlight,  taking  long 
walking  strides.  Immediately  after  him  came  the 
keeper  on  a  run  and  for  the  fourth  time,  Dick  made  a 
grand-stand  tackle. 

As  they  rolled  on  the  grass,  Emil  sprang  out  to  lend 
his  forgiven  friend  assistance.  Ivan,  who  had  turned, 
saw  him,  and  thinking  him  one  of  the  opposing  force, 
rushed  at  him.  Emil  took  Ivan  for  the  "girl  in  the 


206  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

case"  and  thought  she  had  gone  insane.  They  grappled 
fiercely  and  became  so  engrossed  in  their  private  war, 
that  Dick,  who  had  caught  a  Tartar,  nearly  lost  his 
campaign.  The  keeper  was  large  and  powerful,  and 
had  seized  Dick  by  the  throat  in  a  grip  which  he  could 
not  throw  off.  Dick  struggled  skilfully,  struck  his  ad- 
versary in  the  shprt  ribs,  and  sought  to  twist  himself 
free;  but  the  gray  was  turning  to  black  by  the  time 
that  Ivan  recognized  Emil,  and  they  rushed  to  Dick's 
relief. 

In  a  trice  the  man  was  tied  hand  and  foot,  and  Dick, 
finding  little  difficulty  in  making  his  ill-used  vocal 
cords  rough  and  coarse,  demanded  the  key. 

"I  trew  id  avay,"  growled  the  man. 

Dick  searched  him  in  vain,  searched  the  other  man, 
also  without  success,  put  a  gag  in  the  mouth  of  the  new 
captive,  dragged  him  into  the  bushes  close  to  his  com- 
panion, returned  to  the  den  and  stood  gazing  up  at  the 
small  opening. 

"Now,  we  are  up  against  it,"  he  said  gloomily  to  his 
allies. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE  MACHINE  RUNS  OVER  IVAN  AND  EMIL 

IT  is  probable  that  no  previous  statement  had  ever 
been  made  in  that  group  without  calling  forth  an 
attempt  to  overthrow  it;  but  this  one  was  received  in 
silent  acquiescence.  Ivan  was  absent-mindedly  engaged 
in  tucking  his  frayed  skirts  into  the  top  of  his  trousers, 
and  Emil  was  stroking  the  beard  which  twice  that 
evening  had  revealed  his  identity. 

As  this  supine  acceptance  of  their  desperate  condi- 
tion became  apparent  to  Dick,  he  aroused  himself  and 
surveyed  the  den  intently. 

"Pshaw,  this  is  an  easy  one,"  he  remarked  after  a 
minute.  "There  is  a  trap-door  in  the  roof.  Here,  give 
me  a  boost." 

With  their  assistance,  Dick  found  no  difficulty  in 
clambering  to  the  flat  roof,  and  in  a  moment,  he  had 
the  trap-door  open.  "Are  you  all  ready,  princess  ?"  he 
called  gaily. 

"Goodness,  yes,"  she  answered  promptly;  "but  how 
can  I  ever  get  up  ?" 

"That's  another  one,"  answered  Dick,  studying  a 
moment. 

He  rose,  walked  to  the  edge  of  the  roof,  and  said : 
"Here,  Ivan,  you're  the  taller.  Help  Emil  up." 

207 


208  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

Emil  did  not  wish  to  go.  His  physical  proportions 
denoted  strength  rather  than  agility,  and  he  was  per- 
fectly content  to  remain  on  solid  ground;  but  Dick 
had  the  magnetic  gift  of  stirring  another  to  action  be- 
fore that  other  had  time  to  form  his  own  will  on  the 
subject.  In  college  games  and  college  pranks  this  gift 
had  been  exercised  and  developed  until  Dick  had 
formed  the  habit  of  speaking  as  one  having  authority; 
and  while  he  was  still  arguing  in  his  mind  the  wisdom 
of  the  move,  Emil  found  Ivan  pushing  at  him  from 
below,  Dick  pulling  at  him  from  above,  and  himself 
climbing  to  the  roof  to  take  an  active  part  in  some 
transaction,  of  every  premise  of  which  he  was  utterly 
ignorant. 

Dick  escorted  him  to  the  open  hatchway,  and  called 
down  cheerily:  "Look  out  below.  Now  then,  Emil, 
take  my  hand  and  I'll  lower  you." 

"No,"  said  Emil,  recovering  himself.  "I  go  not  into 
a  hole,  when  I  know  not  what  it  on  the  bottom  has." 

Dick  drew  back  a  pace,  placed  his  arms  akimbo,  and 
eyed  his  friend  scornfully.  "And  so  I  have  nourished  a 
coward  in  my  bosom,"  he  said  in  hurt  surprise.  "Do 
you  mean  to  say  that  after  all  Ivan  and  I  have  done 
this  night,  you  are  going  to  flunk  and  spoil  every- 
thing?" 

"I  am  not  a  coward,"  said  Emil.  "I  do  not  at  any 
time  flunk ;  but  such  a  thing  as  this,  it  is  not  the  duty 
of  any  man  to  do." 

"Then  I  would  suggest  that  you  get  down  from  the 
roof  at  once,  return  to  the  library,  get  a  book  on  sta- 
tistics, and  find  out  the  exact  number  of  brave  men  who 


OVER   IVAN    AND    EMIL  209 

have  deserted  their  comrades  in  the  moment  of  their 
peril." 

"I  am  not  deserting  my  comrades,"  protested  Emil. 
"I  do  not  wish  to.  I  wish  only  to  remain  with  them, 
and  not  to  descend  into  a  hole  on  to  I  know  not  what." 

"Will  you  kindly  inform  me  why  you  insisted  on 
coming  along?"  asked  Dick  with  polite  hauteur. 

"I  did  not  insist,"  earnestly  explained  the  bewildered 
Emil.  "Merely  a  quiet  stroll  in  the  moonlight  I  was 
taking,  suddenly  one  whom  I  thought  my  friend  leaped 
on  me  from  ambush  and  hurled  me  to  the  ground, 
while  another  friend  in  the  guise  of  a  woman,  at- 
tempted to  tear  out  from  my  face  my  beard.  Then— 

"It  is  unnecessary  to  give  your  unabridged  biog- 
raphy," interrupted  Dick.  "Will  you,  or  will  you  not 
assist  me?" 

Emil  looked  into  the  murk  of  the  den  and  hesitated. 
"Yes,  I  will  go,"  he  said,  "but  I  know  it  will  be  injury." 

Without  waiting  for  reconsideration,  Dick  hurried 
him  through  the  hatch.  "Spoken  like  a  man,"  he  said 
approvingly.  "Now  clasp  hands  with  me  and  seize  my 
wrist  with  your  other  hand."  With  his  left  arm  stiffly 
bracing  him,  Dick  lowered  Emil  into  the  gloom  as  far 
as  he  could  reach.  "Now,  let  go— let  go !  It  is  only  a 
foot  to  drop.  Let  go !" 

"I  can  nothing  with  my  toes  feel,"  cried  Emil,  whose 
mental  processes  were  logical,  even  in  moments  of 
stress.  "Pull  me  up  again,  there  may  be  a  pit  here  or 
an  old  well." 

"If  I  pull  you  up  again,  it  will  be  to  bite  your  nose," 
said  Dick  angrily.  "Let  go!  Do  you  think  I'm  a  der- 


210  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

rick?"  Emil  dropped,  and  Dick  asked  kindly.  "Did 
you  land  all  right  ?" 

"Yes,"  replied  Emil;  "but  I  strained  my  nerves.  It 
was  an  awful  moment  before  I — " 

"Now  then,  princess,"  hurried  Dick;  "put  your 
hands  on  his  shoulder.  Emil,  you  take  her  foot  and  lift 
her,  as  if  to  mount  a  horse.  That's  right,  now 
straighten  up.  Take  a  firm  grip  on  my  wrist."  A  quick 
lift  placed  her  on  the  roof  beside  him.  "There  you  are. 
Now  then  we're  ready  for  the  descent." 

He  hurried  her  to  the  edge  of  the  roof.  "Here  you 
go!  Ivan,  take  her  in  your  arms." 

"Oh,  Dick,"  she  hesitated,  "I'm  afraid  my  skirt  will 
catch." 

"Pshaw,"  said  Dick  impatiently.  "Well,  then,  take 
it  off ;  but  I  shouldn't  think  you'd  worry  about  tearing 
a  skirt  at  such  a  time  as  this." 

"You  stupid  thing!  I'm  not  afraid  of  tearing  it; 
I'm  afraid  it  will  catch  on  the  edge  of  the  roof." 

"I'll  fix  that — you  just  sit  down  and  I'll  push  it  over. 
Now  then,  don't  mind  Ivan.  He's  half  woman-hater, 
and  half  cook.  Come  now." 

He  lowered  her  carefully,  Ivan  received  her  as 
though  she  were  of  fragile  glass,  and  as  soon  as  he  had 
placed  her  on  the  ground,  Dick  swung  himself  beside 
them,  saying:  "Hurry  now,  it  is  getting  late." 

As  they  started  along  the  path  which  led  to  the  Bur- 
ton grounds,  a  howl  came  from  the  bear  den :  "Here, 
here ;  come  and  let  me  out !" 

Dick  was  a  commander  about  to  consummate  a  coup. 
Individuals  were  no  longer  of  moment  to  him  save  as 


OVER   IVAN    AND    EMIL  211 

they  furthered  his  plan.  "We  can't  bother  with  you 
now,"  he  answered  with  lofty  abruptness. 

"Oh,  this  is  an  outrage,"  moaned  Emil.  "I  will  in 
the  morning  in  this  olt  bear  den  be  found.  I  will  be 
disgraced.  I  will  be — and  you  said  you  were  my 
frient!" 

Dick  saw  that  something  was  due  Emil,  and  going 
close  to  the  den,  he  said  slowly  and  distinctly :  "Emil, 
be  sensible.  In  order  to  get  you  out,  it  would  be  neces- 
sary for  one  of  us  to  go  in.  Whoever  went  in  would 
have  to  stay.  It  requires  two  to  finish  my  plan.  Ivan 
is  perfectly  willing  to  assist  without  argument.  If  you 
did  not  intend  to  do  my  bidding  in  this  matter,  you  had 
no  business  to  force  yourself 'on  me.  I  shall  rescue  you 
as  soon  as  I  get  time.  This  entire  evening,  outsiders 
have  been  begging  me  to  rescue  them  until  my  patience 
is  exhausted." 

"But  it  is  damp  in  here,  and  there  is  nothing  to  sit 
on." 

"It  is  not  customary  in  this  country  to  fit  up  bear 
dens  with  Morris  chairs  and  cozy  corners,"  rejoined 
Dick.  "Now,  I  can't  waste  any  more  time.  Be  a 
sport!" 

Dick  turned  away;  but  Emil  was  not  yet  resigned. 
"Here,"  he  called,  "wait ;  I  refuse  in  this  vile  spot  to 
remain." 

"All  right,  then,"  answered  Dick  stoically,  "come  on 
out.  I  don't  want  you  to  remain." 

They  hurried  along  the  path  until  they  reached  the 
high  fence  at  the  point  where  an  opening  in  the  hedge 
had  formerly  served  the  girl  as  a  wicket. 


212  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

"I  never  in  the  world  can  get  over  that  fence!"  ex- 
claimed the  girl. 

"You  will  have  to,"  answered  Dick  shortly.  "There 
is  no  knowing  what  your  aunt  has  started  by  this  time. 
Men  may  be  watching  or  searching  the  front  and  back 
roads.  They  would  never  think  of  watching  here. 
Therefore  here  is  where  we  must  enter." 

"Oh,  I  don't  know  what  to  do,"  cried  the  girl.  "Fa- 
ther will  never  forgive  me  if  he  discovers  where  I  have 
been  or  whom  I  have  been  with." 

"Then  climb  this  fence  at  once,  and  keep  him  from 
finding  out." 

"He  was  to  go  to  some  kind  of  banquet  to-night; 
but  I  am  sure  that  it  is  terribly  late  and — " 

"Well,  he  don't  live  here  anyway,  does  he  ?" 

"Of  course  he  does." 

"Your  aunt  said  she  might  telegraph  him.  I  thought 
— well,  who  is  your  father,  anyway?" 

"I  suppose  I  shall  have  to  tell  you  now.  William 
Burton  is  my  father.  I  only  pretended  to  be — " 

"Well,  then,  who  is  the  old  party  who  is  always  trail- 
ing you?" 

"Why,  she  is  my  father's  cousin.  I  call  her  aunt  and 
she  is  awfully  good  to  me ;  but — " 

"Will  somebody  please  stroke  my  ears!"  cried  Dick. 
"Why,  it's  as  plain  as  this  fence.  It  always  was  plain, 
only  I  was  so  taken  up  with  you  that  I  didn't  care  a 
rap  who  you  really  were.  Oh,  this  is  rich — this  is  a 
joke  on  every  one!  And  to  think  that  uncle — " 

"It  is  not  a  joke,"  protested  the  girl.   "It  is  terrible. 


OVER   IVAN    AND    EMIL  213 

I  am  ready  to  go  insane,  and  in  just  one  more  minute,  I 
shall  cry!" 

"None  of  that,"  cried  Dick  in  alarm.  "You  can't 
afford  to  do  that  until  after  the  rush  is  over.  When 
you  get  safe  in  your  own  room,  just  let*  everything  go, 
have  a  good  cry,  then  a  good  laugh,  and  you'll  sleep 
like  a  top.  Have  auntie  in  and  tell  her  the  whole  story. 
I'll  wager  my  life,  she's  game.  I  like  her  the  limit;  but 
let's  get  over  the  fence  now." 

He  studied  the  fence  for  a  moment.  "Confound 
those  spikes,"  he  said,  referring  to  a  row  which  lined 
the  top.  "Hunt  me  a  stone,  Ivan.  Now,  a  little  boost." 
He  reached  the  top  of  the  fence,  pounded  down  the 
spikes,  and  said  merrily:  "Uncle  must  have  thought 
your  clan  traveled  in  air-ships.  Now,  then,  Ivan,  pass 
her  up." 

As  soon  as  the  girl  had  been  helped  to  the  top  of  the 
fence,  and  had  looked  down  on  the  opposite  side,  she 
shook  her  head.  "It  is  no  use,"  she  said.  "I  can't  get 
down  on  the  other  side." 

"Oh,  ye  of  little  faith!"  murmured  Dick.  "Here, 
you  sit  steady  while  Ivan  makes  his  ascension." 

With  Dick's  help,  Ivan  climbed  up  by  means  of  the 
horizontal  pieces  to  which  the  boards  were  nailed,  and 
was  then  lowered  on  the  Burton  side. 

"Just  stalk  off  a  little  way  to  make  sure  that  no  one 
is  watching,"  whispered  Dick  craftily,  and  then  leaning 
close  to  the  girl,  he  said :  "I  hate  to  say  good  night. 
Are  you  sure  you  can  get  into  the  house?" 

"Oh,  yes,  I  shan't  have  the  slightest  trouble  about 


214  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

that."  A  quick  change  came  into  her  face.  "What  shall 
I  do  about  Bayard  ?"  she  gasped. 

"As  soon  as  Emil  is  rescued,  he  comes  next  on  the 
list,"  said  Dick  without  hesitation. 

"If  you  only  will,  I  shall  thank  you  all  my  life,"  she 
said. 

"And  the  rest  of  it  is,  that  I  shall  stick  around  so 
close  that  you  won't  have  to  use  long  distance,"  he 
added.  Then  his  face  sobered  and  he  said:  "I  want 
you  to  tell  me  one  thing  before  you  go.  I  have  told  you 
I  loved  you  and  have  asked  you  a  dozen  times  to  marry 
me ;  but  you  have  never  paid  the  slightest  attention.  I 
want—" 

"This  is  no  time  to  talk  nonsense,"  answered  the  girl 
in  a  low  tone,  which  refused  to  be  light.  "I  scarcely 
know  you,  you  know." 

"You  do,  too :  you  knew  me  at  first  sight,  and  after 
all  we  have  been  through  to-night,  you  know  me  better 
than  any  one  else  in  the  world ;  but,"  he  suddenly  said 
as  a  new  thought  struck  him,  "how  did  you  know  that 
my  name  was  Dick?" 

"Why,  I  found  out  all  about  you  the  very  day  we 
met.  You  don't  suppose  that  I  should  have  trusted  you 
the  way  I  have  if  I  had  known  no  more  of  you  than 
you  told  me  yourself,  do  you  ?" 

"All  I  knew  of  you,  you  told  me  yourself;  but  I 
should  have  loved  you  if  I  had  only  seen  you  through 
a  telescope.  What  is  your  first  name?  Honest,  now." 

"Kate,  or  rather  Katherine." 

"I  might  have  known  that  also,  it  was  always  my 
favorite,"  and  he  slipped  an  arm  about  her.  She  drew 


OVER   IVAN    AND    EMIL  215 

away  from  him,  and  they  nearly  fell  from  their  nar- 
row perch. 

"This  is  preposterous,"  she  said  when  he  had 
steadied  her.  "To  think  of  sitting  on  top  a  high  fence 
at  midnight  and — and — " 

At  this  juncture  Ivan  returned  and  reported  that  all 
was  well ;  so  Dick  was  forced  to  bring  his  venture  to  a 
triumphant  ending,  even  if  that  ending  meant  a  painful 
separation.  He  stood  on  the  upper  cross  piece,  and 
made  her  put  an  arm  about  his  neck;  then  he  put  his 
arm  about  her  waist  and  lowered  her  until  her  hands 
grasped  the  fence.  During  the  operation  their  lips  met, 
moist  and  warm;  but  neither  spoke  of  it,  and  soon  Ivan 
had  placed  her  on  the  ground  once  more. 

"Such  a  night !"  she  exclaimed. 

"Such  a  beautiful,  beautiful  night,"  echoed  Dick, 
and  then  sighed.  "Good  night,  sweetheart,  good  night," 
he  called  softly  after  her  as  she  disappeared  in  the 
shadows. 

"Now  help  me  up  quickly/'  said  Ivan. 

"Ah,  Ivan,  this  is  ever  the  way  with  life.  Just  as  we 
get  a  peep  into  Heaven,  some  one  grabs  us  by  the  coat- 
tail  and  jerks  us  back.  Now,  I  shall  lower  my  leg  and 
you  climb  up  on  it — you  can't  get  a  good  grip  without 
jumping.  Can't  you  hang  on  to  it?  That's  it.  Now 
climb  until  I  can  reach  your  hand.  Oh,  rats !"  as  Ivan 
slipped  back. 

"What  shall  I  do?"  asked  Ivan  in  distress.  "I  can 
not  climb  back." 

"After  to-night,"  said  Dick  philosophically,  "I  per- 
ceive that  it  is  possible  to  be  a  great  scholar  without 


216  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

knowing  what  to  do  at  the  right  time,  or  how  to  do  it 
when  pointed  out.". 

"But  what  shall  I  do?"  repeated  Ivan,  who  coveted 
no  new  theories  at  that  moment.  "I  can  not  climb 
back." 

"Then  you  will  either  have  to  stay  there  or  go 
around." 

"But  I  may  be  seen  and  discovered." 

"It  is  not  a  bad  bet,"  admitted  Dick;  "but  life  is  all 
a  chance,  anyhow." 

"Why  are  there  no  cleats  on  this  side  of  the  fence?" 
demanded  Ivan.  "If  I  had  known  that  I  should  not 
have  descended.  Oh,  why  are  there  no  cleats  ?" 

Dick  was  contented  with  his  night's  work,  and  he  an- 
swered calmly :  "Doubtless  in  building  this  fence,  my 
uncle  overlooked  your  present  requirements.  The  fence 
was  erected,  you  know,  to  keep  people  out,  not  in. 
Cleats,  as  you  call  them,  are  only  necessary  on  one  side 
of  the  fence.  Therefore  their  absence  on  your  side  is 
in  no  way  remarkable.  They  were  probably  put  on  this 
side  in  order  to  make  it  more  difficult  to  remove  a  board 
from  the  other  side.  From  this  side,  you  perceive,  a 
board  could  be  knocked  off  easily — ' 

"This  is  terrible,"  said  Ivan  wildly.  "Think  of  my 
position.  I  refuse  to  remain  here.  You  must — " 

"My  dear  Ivan,  this  is  not  a  case  for  argument  or 
debate.  It  is  beyond  my  power  to  produce  cleats 
through  force  of  desire.  It  would  be  foolish  for  me 
to  join  you  as  we  should  then  be  in  the  same  boat; 
while  now  I  am  in  a  position  to  rescue  you  as  soon  as 
Emil  and  the  dog  are  attended  to.  I  shall  get  a  rope, 


Then  he  lowered  her  until  her  hands  grasped  the  fence 


217 

free  Emil,  send  him  here  with  the  rope,  while  I  turn 
the  dog  loose.   Then  I  shall  return  and  if — " 

"Do  not  leave  me,"  begged  Ivan.  "Consider  my  po- 
sition— I  am  on  the  domain  of  your  enemy.  He  has 
guards  patrolling  it,  and  maybe  dogs!  What  shall  I 
do?" 

"You  have  several  good  plans,"  said  Dick  reassur- 
ingly. "You  could  either  follow  this  fence  until  you 
reach  the  street;  or  curl  up  right  where  you  are  and 
wait  until  I  return.  Taking  the  possibility  of  spies  into 
consideration,  I  should  remain  here  if  I  were  you — at 
least  until  later.  As  soon  as  it  is  discovered  that  the 
girl  has  returned,  the  watchers  will  be  recalled." 
"But  what  if  I  am  discovered?" 
"You  are  still  wearing  the  cook's  dress:  tell  them 
that  you  are  crazy ;  and  in  the  morning  I  shall  call  at 
the  station  and  release  you.  Good-by,  I  won't  be  long." 
Dick  dropped  to  the  ground  and  Ivan  said  bitterly : 
"This  is  called  a  free  country ;  but  it  is  damnable !  I 
hate  it !  Sooner  would  I  live  a  thousand  years  in  Rus- 
sia, than  one  year  here.  I  shall  never  again  have  any- 
thing to  do  with  women !" 

"Now  everything  is  all  right,"  said  Dick.  "As  soon 
as  the  blame  can  be  laid  on  a  woman,  the  sky  begins 
to  clear.  Honestly,  I'm  sorry  to  the  quick,  old  boy, 
and  I  shall  return  as  soon  as  possible.  Keep  a  stiff 
upper  lip,  and  it  won't  seem  long." 

Dick  really  did  feel  sorry  for  Ivan ;  but  with  all  that 
had  happened  to  cheer  him,  tugging  at  his  heart,  and 
with  much  still  to  be  done,  he  was  forced  to  tear  him- 
self away,  which  he  did  at  a  brisk  trot. 


218  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

Under  a  blue  light  all  is  blue,  under  a  red  light  all 
is  red,  and  so  each  little  human  of  us  sees  a  different 
world,  lighted  by  the  light  of  his  own  nature.  Dick 
and  Ivan  had  taken  part  in  the  same  series  of  events, 
and  yet  how  different  they  had  appeared.  To  Dick, 
like  the  beautiful  movements  in  a  fairy  game;  to  Ivan 
like  the  somber  action  of  a  deepening  tragedy. 

The  same  moon  which  made  Bannington  Park  a 
magic  isle  to  Dick  made  the  orderly  Burton  grounds 
a  ghastly  wilderness  to  Ivan,  and  furnished  Kate  with 
a  clear  soft  illumination,  as  she  opened  the  side  door 
and  entered  the  house  unseen. 

Is  life  after  all  but  a  game,  and  are  we  always  only 
children?  Will  the  time  ever  come  when  we  shall 
look  back  to  the  joys  and  sorrows  which  seemed  so 
wonderful  or  so  terrible,  and  smile  half  wistfully  at 
the  innocence  with  which  we  accepted  the  semblance 
for  reality? 


CHAPTER  XX 

THE  ROVERS  RETURN 

I"  T  was  now  eleven  o'clock :  Richard  Bannington 
-*•  had  concluded  his  interview  with  his  private  secre- 
tary, and  Higgins  had  just  assisted  him  to  the  library, 
his  intellect  receiving  its  customary  amount  of  blame 
because  there  was  still  some  pain  in  Mr.  Bannington's 
foot. 

"Higgins,  I  wish  it  were  cold  enough  to  have  a  fire," 
complained  Mr.  Bannington,  fanning  himself. 

"Yes,  sir,  it  would  be  pleasanter,"  acquiesced  the 
butler. 

"But  it  would  be  damned  unnatural  and  probably 
cause  a  lot  of  sickness,"  said  Bannington  shortly,  inti- 
mating that  the  butler  purposed  using  underhanded 
means  to  produce  such  a  condition.  "I  wish  my  nephew 
had  as  much  sense  and  steadiness  as  young  Lorrimer," 
continued  the  old  man. 

"Yes,  sir,"  said  Higgins  in  a  mild,  injured  tone. 

"What !  What  do  you  mean  by  such  impertinence  ?" 
demanded  Bannington,  who  used  the  same  voice  in 
talking  to  himself  as  he  did  when  addressing  one  of  his 
servants,  and  scolding  the  servant  who  failed  to  answer 
when  spoken  to,  or  who  answered  when  he  was  merely 
thinking  aloud. 

"I  merely  meant  that  by  the  time  that  Mr.  Dick 
219 


220  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

begins  to  settle  down  and  goes  into  business  with  you 
it  will  take  a  lot  of  worry  off  your  mind  and — " 

"A  lot  you  know  about  business — or  worry  either, 
for  that  matter,"  interrupted  Bannington.  "As  soon  as 
Dick  comes  in,  I  want  to  see  him.  It  doesn't  matter 
what  time  it  is,  I  want  to  see  him.  Do  you  hear?" 

"Certainly,  sir.    Yes,  sir,  I  shall  tell  him." 

"Seems  to  me  as  if  he  ought  to  be  in  by  now." 

"Yes,  sir,  I  should  think  so." 

"You  should  think  so!  What  business  have  you 
to  think  about  my  nephew's  actions?  I  wish  you  would 
learn  your  place  before  you  get  too  old  to  be  of  any 
service  at  all." 

At  this  moment  the  door-bell  rang  violently.  Hig- 
gins  stood  in  surprised  inaction.  "Why  don't  you 
answer  the  bell  ?"  cried  Bannington.  "Do  you  intend  to 
keep  them  waiting  all  night  ?  Hurry !" 

The  old  man  continued  sitting  erect  in  his  chair  with 
his  eyes  turned  anxiously  toward  the  door  until  the 
two  Austrian  keepers  entered,  leading  Emil,  whose 
raiment  was  sadly  disarrayed. 

"Sir,"  he  cried  indignantly,  "I  protest  me  against 
such  treatment!  Never  was  I  like  this  before  treated! 
I  come  with  your  nephew  to  his  native  land  as  a  guest 
of  him  at  his  invitation,  to  assist  him  in  the  propaga- 
tion of  the  scientific  laws  of — " 

"Careful,  careful,"  cautioned  Bannington ;  "you  are 
getting  among  the  breakers.  Now  go  slow  and  don't 
sputter  so." 

"I  have  behaved  myself  with  decorum  while  in  this 
house,  but  this  evening  yet,  while  I  was  walking  in 


THE   ROVERS    RETURN  221 

the  park'  for  a  stroll,  I  was  set  on  and  thrown  to  the 
ground,  hurled  into  the  den  of  an  absent  bear,  dragged 
forth  by  these  two  ruffians — " 

"You  are  discharged.  You  haven't  sense  enough  to 
be  hanged  for  murder,"  said  Bannington  to  the  guards, 
who  stood  in  stupid  silence, 

"But  we  only  obeyed  orders,"  ventured  the  larger 
keeper. 

"Orders !"  scoffed  Bannington.  "I  told  you  to  cap- 
ture any  women  you  found  on  the  grounds  and  drive 
off  all  men  who  looked  like  tramps  or  socialists." 

"Yes,  sir,"  said  the  keeper,  "but  ve  did  cabture  one 
voman  and  shut  her  into  the  builting;  and  then  a 
strange  female  of  large  probortions  did  race  through 
the  bark,  and  ven  ve  chased  her  to  a  certain  spod,  a 
man  leaped  on  us  from  ampush  and  she  turned  and 
sat  on  our  heats  and — " 

"It  must  have  been  Miss  Burton !"  exclaimed  the  old 
man  with  a  grin. 

"Ve  were  tied  and  bound  fast,  and  into  our  mouts 
was  a  gag  shoved  and  ve  were  trown  indo  te  bushes — " 

"Who  did  all  this?"  demanded  Bannington. 

"Ve  can  not  say.     It  was  done  wit  great  swiftness, 
but  dis  one  helped.    Ve  heart  him  talk.    Then  te  large 
female  and  one  of  te  men  took  te  girl  from  te  prison  • 
and  put  dis  one  dere,  and  vent  avay." 

"Oh,  this  is  all  nonsense,"  said  Bannington.  "You 
are  just  making  up  a  story." 

"No,  it  is  te  druth.  After  a  vhile  ve  rolled  over  pack 
to  pack  and  untied  each  te  other's  tongs  and  escaped, 


222  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

and  brought  dis  one  to  see  vat  you  vould  make  wit 
him." 

"Higgins,"  called  Bannington,  "pay  these  men  a 
week's  extra  wages,  and  turn  them  loose.  I  don't  believe 
a  word  they  say,  but  they've  been  put  to  some  trouble." 

As  soon  as  the  men  had  left,  Emil,  who  was  still 
smarting,  began :  "It  was  not  intentional  that  I  entered 
into  this,  but  your  nephew — " 

"Sir,"  interrupted  the  old  man,  with  a  grave  polite- 
ness, which  entirely  concealed  the  amusement  he  felt  at 
Emil's  plight,  "believe  me,  there  has  been  a  great  mis- 
take. It  was  impossible  to  find  Americans  who  would 
accept  the  kind  of  work  I  wanted  these  fellows  to 
do,  and  it  is  evident  that  they  did  not  understand  my 
instructions.  I  realize  that  under  the  circumstances 
apologies .  are  entirely  inadequate,  but  as  that  is  the 
best  I  can  do,  I  offer  my  most  abject  apology." 

Bannington  held  out  his  hand  and  Emil  grasped  it, 
bowing  low,  as  his  habitual  good  humor  returned.  "Sir, 
he  said,  "I  hasten  to  accept  it,  and  to  assure  you  that 
you  have  done  all  that  a  gentleman  could.  Now,  with 
your  permission,  I  shall  retire  myself  and  put  in  order 
my  attire." 

Emil  started  to  leave  the  room,  but  Bannington,  who 
was  nervous  because  of  Dick's  absence,  suddenly  had 
a  whim  for  company,  and  said:  "If  there  isn't  any 
God,  how  can  there  be  any  sin?" 

"Sin?"  repeated  Emil,  taken  by  surprise.  "Oh,  well, 
now,  sin  is  merely  a  term  which  for  convenience  we  use 
to  call  an  action  which  is  not  at  present  a  proper  one. 
What  is  for  you  a  sin,  is  not  always  for  me  a  sin.  Sins 


THE    ROVERS    RETURN  223 

differ  with  times  and  places.  Murder  is  still  looked  on 
among  the  savages  as  a  great  virtue.  Suicide,  even 
among  so  civilized  a  people  as  the  ancient  Romans,  was 
as  a  heroic  act  regarded.  The  Spartan  boys  were  en- 
couraged in  the  killing  of  slaves  in  order  to  do  away 
with  the  inborn  prejudice  against  taking  a  fellow- 
human's  life.  The  czarevitch  of  Russia  is  yet  to-day 
taught  to  indulge  always  his  own  desires,  none  about 
him  being  permitted  to  controvert  him.  Sin  is — now 
my  idea  of  sin  is  doing  something  to  harm  another. 
What  I  am  able  to  do  entirely  as  an  individual  can 
not  be  a  sin.  Providing  I  have  none  at  present  in  me 
interested,  and  guard  against  having  any  offspring,  I 
can  abuse  my  own  body  as  much  as  I  please,  even  to 
the  taking  of  my  own  life;  but  as  long  as  my  act  is 
a  part,  even  a  small  part,  of  the  social  life,  then  I  am 
not  to  consult  myself  only,  but  society.  Judged  by  this 
rule—" 

"You'll  have  to  own  up  that  without  God,  good 
would  be  unthinkable." 

"Not  so.  Without  experience,  good  would  be  un- 
thinkable." 

"Don't  let  me  keep  you  up,"  said  Bannington  a  little 
testily. 

"That's  right,  I  have  yet  some  packing  to  do.  I  wish 
you  good  night." 

"Good  night,"  said  Bannington,  frowning  slightly. 

Emil  left  the  room,  refreshed  and  contented.  His 
little  talk  had  brought  back  his  familiar  poise  and  the 
evening's  incidents  were  as  remote  as  the  early  Greek 
tragedies.  Bannington  sat  brooding:  "Still  has  got  some 


224  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

packing  to  do,"  he  muttered  after  a  few  moments' 
silence.  "Then  the  boy  really  intends  to  go.  Oh,  I 
can  talk  him  out  of  it  yet.  If  boys  were  to  begin 
doing  the  things  they  intend  to  do,  the  globe  would 
crack  in  the  center.  It  seems  to  me  that  the  older  I 
get  the  more  I  feel  like  a  boy.  'Twould  cause  a  panic 
if  they  only  knew  what  I  was  thinking  of  sometimes." 
He  chuckled.  "They  think  that  all  I  think  of  is  money. 
I  don't  want  that  German  to  go,  either.  He  amuses 
me,  takes  me  out  of  myself  with  his  fool  nonsense. 
Only  started  him  talking  this  evening  to  make  him  feel 
better  after  his  handling  and  he  went  away  purring 
like  a  cat,  and  I  got  so  interested  that  I  lost  my  temper 
a  little  without  putting  it  on.  Humph,  he's  as  firm  a 
believer  as  any  one  else — but  that's  not  saying  much." 

The  old  man  looked  at  his  watch  and  sighed.  "I 
wonder  what  Dick  really  did  to  him,"  he  said  with 
another  chuckle.  "Confound  that  boy,  I  won't  stand 
for  his  bringing  all  manner  of  women  on  to  this  place. 
Those  fool  keepers  spoke  of  a  young  one  and  a  large 
one,  besides  Miss  Burton.  I'll  wager  Dick  had  nothing 
to  do  with  enticing  her  here.  That  Burton  blood  is 
mighty  poor  stuff!  How  a  mother  as  beautiful  as 
hers  could  have  so  homely  a  daughter  is  more  than  I 
can  say.  I'm  getting  old,  I'm  getting  in  my  dotage !  I 
wish  Dick  would  come  in,  I  want  to  tell  him  he  don't 
have  to  marry  that  frump." 

A  loud,  angry  rapping  came  at  the  door.  He  gave 
a  start,  composed  himself  and  said  sternly:  "Come 
in." 

The  door  swung  back  and  Ivan,  wild-eyed  and  with 


THE   ROVERS    RETURN  225 

his  dress  torn  to  ribbons,  burst  into  the  room.  "Sir," 
he  cried,  "I  am  not  crazy." 

Bannington  examined  him  skeptically :  "Well,  maybe 
you're  not — I  don't  like  to  contradict  any  man  point 
blank,  but  I  must  say  you  put  up  an  awful  good  bluff 
at  it.  What  are  you  pretending  to  be  ?" 

"I  shall  tell  you.  This  evening  your  nephew  came  to 
me  and  said — " 

"Don't  tell  tales,  don't  tell  tales,"  broke  in  Banning- 
ton. "That's  one  great  trouble  with  all  you  laborless 
labor  leaders;  you  are  everlastingly  reviling  one  an- 
other. You  don't  really  want  conditions  to  be  any  bet- 
ter, the  more  you  can  stir  things  up  the  more  graft 
there  is  in  it  for  you." 

"But  this  was  not  for  the  cause,"  expostulated  Ivan. 
"He  came  just  as  I  had  caught  Emil  in  a  weak  argu- 
ment— " 

"He  couldn't  come  at  any  other  time,  the  boy  is 
not  to  be  blamed  for  that,"  interrupted  the  old  man 
with  unappreciated  humor. 

"Yes,"  continued  Ivan,  "and  he  said  he  had  need  for 
me.  I  went,  willing  to  sacrifice  my  life  if  need  be.  He 
made  me  put  on  this  garment,  through  the  woods  was  I 
chased,  with  men  was  I  forced  to  combat !  Oh,  you  can 
not  understand — it  was  terrible!" 

"So  that's  the  kind  that  you  are,  huh  ?  Well,  I  don't 
approve  of  practical  jokes,  but  I  never  could  bear  any 
one  who  got  the  worst  of  it  and  squealed  about  it  after- 
ward. Why  don't  you  settle  this  with  Dick,  himself?" 

"But  this  is  not  a  joke,  and  I  can  not  find  him." 

"What  did  you  come  to  this  country  fpr,  anyway?" 


226  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

Ivan  drew  himself  up  proudly.  "I  came  to  this 
country,  not  to  be  disguised  like  a  cook  and  chased 
through  strange  yards  with  dogs.  I  came  to  fight  for 
liberty." 

"Humph,  that  reminds  me  of  something  I  once  heard 
concerning  Newcastle's  demand  for  coals.    If  nothing 
will  calm  you  but  war,  why  don't  you  go  to  some ' 
country  which  is  not  free  already?" 

"You  do  not  understand.  This  country  has  religious 
freedom,  it  has  political  freedom,  but  industrial  free- 
dom—" 

"You  needn't  list  them  on  my  account.  There  is 
too  much  freedom  already  to  suit  me.  Now,  if  I 
were  you — and  remember,  this  is  only  a  suggestion — 
but  if  I  were  you,  I  should  either  get  my  dress  repaired, 
or  else  take  it  off  altogether." 

Ivan  had  forgotten  his  appearance  entirely.  He 
looked  at  his  tattered  skirt  and  made  for  the  door.  As 
he  opened  it,  he  turned  and  said :  "I  shall  go  to  your 
nephew's  room  and  wait  for  him.  When  he  returns, 
will  you  send  him  to  me  at  once?" 

"I  have  a  little  business  with  him  myself,  first," 
replied  Bannington,  "but  I  shall  let  him  know  that  you 
wish  to  see  him." 

Ivan  withdrew  and  Bannington  shrugged  his  shoul- 
ders. "I  should  like  to  have  that  fool  doctor  live  in  this 
house,  himself,  and  see  how  he  would  manage  to  have 
quiet.  I  wonder  what  the  deuce  Dick  has  been  up  to. 
That  boy  wastes  enough  executive  ability  to  run  the 
government.  I'll  find  out  about  these  women  he's 
been  having  in  the  park  as  soon  as  he  gets  here." 


THE   ROVERS   RETURN  227 

At  this  moment  he  heard  the  voice  of  his  nephew 
asking  a  question  in  the  hall.  He  could  not  catch  Hig- 
gins'  reply,  but  heard  Dick  walking  rapidly  and  firmly 
toward  him.  "Now,"  said  the  old  man,  softly  but 
firmly,  "now." 


CHAPTER  XXI 

DICK   LEAVES   THE   TRACK 

<T  WANT  to  ask  you,"  began  Bannington  as  soon  as 
•••  Dick  was  fairly  inside,  "why  it  is  that  artists, 
actors,  and  especially  social  reformers,  are  always  so 
loose  with  women?" 

Dick  looked  at  his  uncle  in  surprise.  He  was  burst- 
ing with  a  confession,  and  at  no  time  would  he  have 
expected  such  a  question  to  come  from  his  uncle. 
"Actors  and  artists,  being  of  the  artistic  temperament," 
he  replied,  after  collecting  himself,  "may  properly  be 
grouped  in  the  same  class,  but  social  reformers  are,  as 
a  rule,  narrow-minded  men  with  good  intentions,  who 
get  stung  with  one  particular  social  wrong,  and  swell 
up  until  they  think  that  this  one  wrong,  which  is 
always  merely  a  symptom,  is  the  root  of  all  evil." 

"Aren't  you  a  social  reformer?"  asked  Bannington 
in  surprise. 

"I  am  a  revolutionist,"  replied  Dick  with  dignity. 

"I  beg  your  pardon,"  responded  his  uncle,  with 
satirical  obsequiousness,  "but  as  I  understand  it,  they 
are  troubled  a  good  deal  the  same  way." 

"The  way  of  it  is  this,"  said  Dick,  settling  to  the 
subject.  "We  were  all  primitively  free  in  everything  so 
far  as  we  possessed  the  physical  capacity.  As  we 
evolved  further  from  the  purely  natural,  artificial  con- 

228 


DICK    LEAVES   THE   TRACK         229 

ventions  sprang  up.  These  protect  a  certain  class  at 
the  expense  of  another  class — I  am  speaking  now  of 
temperamental,  rather  than  economic  classes — " 

"Pray  continue,  they  are  all  one  to  me,"  interposed 
his  uncle,  his  face  grave,  his  eyes  beginning  to  twinkle. 

"The  emotional  characters  who  imagine  an  ideal 
attempt  to  reach  this  ideal  without  taking  into  account 
their  fixed  position  in  society.  They  ignore  criticism, 
they  attempt  to  breast  the  waters  of  public  opinion, 
they  do  the  things  openly  which  those  who  manufacture 
public  opinion  do  secretly,  and  when  the  rabble  turns 
and  barks  at  them,  they  at  first  refuse  to  notice  it,  but 
gradually  their  sensitive  natures  become  bitter  and  they 
rush  into  defiant  excess.  In  the  end,  they  trample  on 
their  ideals  and  attempt  to  harden  themselves  with  un- 
restrained bestiality.  In  a  word,  they  do  not  sin  against 
the  highest  good  in  frank  rebellion ;  they  begin  by  op- 
posing hypocrisy,  but  in  the  end  they  sink  back  to 
the  lowest,  going  to  the  very  slime  of  an  age  which  had 
no  conception  of  culture,  and  this  is  their  undoing. 
Their  appetites  are  no  longer  strong  and  discriminat- 
ing; but  erratic  and  degenerate.  The  beauty  which 
they  once  sought  with  true  devotion,  remains  like  a 
ghastly  specter  to  haunt  them,  and  while  it  is  impos- 
sible for  human  features  to  express  the  hell  in  which 
they  live,  their  tortured  eyes  and  sagging  lips  blaze 
forth  like  the  red  lamps  of  danger.  They  have  taken 
up  their  own  misery,  but  at  the  same  time,  society, 
itself—" 

"I  guess  that's  enough,"  said  the  old  man  soberly. 
"You're  nearly  as  bad  as  the  German.  A  man  can't 


230  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

ask  you  a  civil  question  without  having  the  human  race 
or  suffering  humanity  or  society  dragged  into  the  an- 
swer. I  suppose  if  a  farmer  were  to  stop  you  in  a 
bridge  crush  and  ask  you  why  apples  were  wormy, 
you'd  talk  to  him  about  society  until  you  were  both 
trampled  to  death." 

"If  trees  are  properly  sprayed,  fruit  will  not  become 
wormy,  but  the  individual  is  too  careless.  Apples  are  a 
social  product,  therefore  society  should  guard  her  own 
by  seeing  that  the  trees  are  properly  sprayed." 

"I  should  hate  to  be  as  old,  as  you  are,"  said  Ban- 
nington,  shaking  his  head.  "If  I  was  sure  that  I  knew 
everything,  it  seems  to  me  that  I'd  be  sort  of  weary  of 
sticking  around  here  any  longer.  I'd  want  to  go  to 
some  new  planet,  and  see  if  I  couldn't  hunt  up  some- 
thing to  wonder  about. 

"But,  Dick,  you've  been  out  pretty  late  to-night,  and 
I've  something  I  want  to  say  to  you."  The  old  man 
paused.  His  voice  had  become  gentle  and  sincere,  and 
his  face  showed  signs  of  embarrassment.  "It  isn't 
so  easy  to  say,  but  I  was  wrong  in  what  I  tried  to  make 
you  do." 

"No,  you  weren't,  Uncle.  I  was  wrong  in  refusing  to 
obey  your  slightest  wish." 

Richard  Bannington  stared  at  him.  "Well,  it  don't 
make  any  difference,  now,  you  don't  have  to  marry 
Miss  Burton." 

"But  I  intend  to  marry  her,"  broke  in  Dick  impetu- 
ously. "I  want  to  marry  her.  I  will  marry  her." 

"What?  You  intend  to  marry  that  fright?  the 
daughter  of  my  bitterest  enemy!  I  forbid  it." 


DICK   LEAVES   THE   TRACK         2311 

"You  can  forbid  all  you  want  to,"  retorted  Dick', 
forgetting  his  contrite  statement  of  a  moment  before. 
"I  intend  to  marry  her,  and  I  shall  thank  you  if  you 
refrain  from  speaking  disrespectfully  of  the  girl  I 
intend  to  make  my  wife,  and  whom  you  have  never 
seen." 

"I  have  seen  her,"  said  Bannington.  "She  is  in  no 
way  suitable.  She  is  one  of  these  strong-minded 
creatures  who  will  fuss  a  week  to  have  their  own 
way — " 

"That  will  do,"  said  Dick.  "If  you  are  merely 
seeking  to  stimulate  me  by  opposition,  it  is  useless,  for 
my  mind  is  already  made  up.  I  shall  marry  Miss 
Burton  if  it  lies  within  my  power  to  do  so,  and  if  you 
say  another  word  against  her,  I  shall  simply  walk  away 
and  leave  you." 

"You  obstinate  beggar,  you!  You  take  advantage 
of  my  weakness.  I  suppose  you  lured  her  into  the  park 
this  evening?" — recalling  the  capture  of  Miss  Burton 
and  her  subsequent  release  at  his  hands.  "I  know  more 
of  your  pranks  than  you  think  I  do" — Dick  imme- 
diately thought  that  his  friends  had  betrayed  him — 
"but  let  that  go  for  the  present.  Dick,  you  mustn't  do 
anything  hasty.  I  have  told  you  exactly  the  shape  we're 
in,  and  I  hate  to  tackle  the  next  few  months  alone. 
You're  young,  you  have  imagination  and  hope,  and 
even  if  things  go  to  smash,  it  won't  be  so  bad  if  you 
are  in  with  me.  Thirty  years  ago,  twenty  years  ago, 
even  ten  years  ago,  I  should  have  welcomed  a  scrap  like 
this;  but  if  they  get  me  down  now,  there  is  no  come- 
back for  me,  and  I  hate  to  own  up  that  I'm  whipped. 


232  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

If  we  land  this  Panama  contract,  it  means  a  hundred 
millions  worth  of  other  business. 

"You  can't  stand  on  the  outside  and  realize  how  it 
all  hangs  together.  It's  like  tenpins;  you  hit  the  head 
pin  just  right  and  you  get  them  all;  but  if  your  ball 
starts  a  quarter  of  an  inch  out  of  line,  you  roll  into  the 
alley  and  don't  get  anything.  They're  watching  us  like 
crows  watching  a  dying  horse.  If  we  bid  too  low  it 
will  show  our  hand,  if  we  bid  one  dollar  too  high,  we 
don't  get  a  look-in.  I  have  figured  this  bid  at  exactly 
two  million,  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  thousand 
dollars,  and  that's  to  the  hair-line.  Are  you  going  to 
come  in  and  make  a  last  fight  for  it,  or  are  you  going  to 
read  of  our  failure  in  the  newspapers?  This  is  a  man's 
game,  Dick ;  will  you  come  in  and  take  a  hand,  or  will 
you  stand  outside  and  chatter?" 

There  was  magnetism  in  the  old  man's  voice.  Dick 
saw  the  situation  in  a  new  light.  It  was  a  man's  game, 
he  was  tired  of  dealing  with  theories  and  longed  to  be 
in  the  midst  of  a  fierce  struggle.  The  quick  move- 
ments of  the  evening,  the  matching  of  his  wits  and  his 
strength  against  those  of  other  men  and  against  adverse 
circumstances,  had  entered  his  veins  like  rare  wine,  and 
he  felt  in  every  fiber  of  his  being  the  call  of  his  uncle's 
words — the  call  of  class,  the  call  of  clan,  the  call  of 
blood.  He  slowly  kicked  his  toe  into  the  thick  rug, 
keeping  his  eyes  on  the  process  as  though  it  was  the 
one  important  consideration  confronting  him. 

"Uncle,"  he  said  at  last,  "I'm  all  torn  up.  I  want  to 
go  in  with  you ;  but  I  know  we  can  never  pull  together. 
You'd  treat  me  as  if  I  were  still  a  boy,  and  I  can't 


DICK   LEAVES   THE   TRACK         233 

stand  your  overbearing  ways — and  I  can't  forgive  the 
way  you  have  spoken  of  Miss  Burton.  It  makes  no 
difference  anyway.  My  plans  are  all  laid,  and  I  leave 
this  house  to-night." 

"Yes,  and  in  two  weeks  you  will  be  back,  begging 
for  a  new  chance !  I  don't  mean  that,  Dick.  I  know 
you  are  too  infernally  proud  to  own  up  that  you  were 
hungry  until  you  had  starved  to  death.  And  if  you  did 
go  away  and  would  ever  need  assistance,  and  I  could 
give  it,  why,  I'd  want  you  to  come  back,  and  I'd  make 
The  Prodigal  Son  sound  like  a  hard-luck  story.  We'd 
get  along  better  than  you  think.  I'm  a  cranky  old 
fellow,  I  know,  but  I'm  not  so  bad  as  I  seem.  You've 
formed  your  opinion  of  me  from  the  papers,  but  you'd 
find  me  a  lot  different.  Why,  hang  it,  boy,  I've 
chummed  with  you  all  the  time  you've  been  at  school. 
I've  kept  track  of  your  games — I've  got  a  lot  of  fool 
rule-books  locked  in  my  desk  now — I've  even  studied 
slang,  so  I'd  know  what  you  were  talking  about.  I'm 
not  a  leech  or  a  clam,  I'm  a  human  being,  and  I've  had 
more  fun  out  of  your  boyhood  than  I  did  out  of 
my  own.  Marry  this  woman  if  you  insist  on  it,  marry 
the  cook  if  you  want  to!  but  get  into  the  harness,  get 
into  the  harness,  and  it  won't  take  long  for  work  to 
knock  the  nonsense  out  of  you." 

There  was  a  friendliness  in  the  old  man's  voice,  a 
frankness,  a  genuineness,  that  appealed  to  the  boy,  and 
he  had  to  harden  his  heart.  "My  mind  is  made  up," 
he  replied,  without  looking  his  uncle  in  the  face.  "I 
told  you  ten  days  ago  what  I  should  do,  and  I  don't 
change  my  mind  without  mighty  good  cause." 


234  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

"What  are  you  going  to  do  for  a  living  ?  You  can't 
live  on  nine  hundred  a  year." 

The  implication  was  stimulating.  "You  must  re- 
member that  I  am  a  mechanical  engineer,"  said  Dick, 
"and — and  I  also  have  a  patent,  and — hang  it,  I  can 
live  on  nine  hundred  a  year." 

"A  mechanical  engineer  sounds  grand,"  said  Ban- 
nington  dryly,  "but  it  takes  some  little  time  to  reach  the 
ripe  fruit.  What  kind  of  a  patent  have  you,  a  hygienic 
pipe  or  a  skirt  hanger?" 

"I  have  patented  a  nut-lock,"  replied  Dick  crisply, 
as  he  unfastened  a  small  trinket  from  his  watch  chain. 
"I  patented  this  thing  two  years  ago,  but  while  waiting 
to  get  my  patent,  I  became  interested  in  sociology  and 
forgot  all  about  it." 

"That's  your  usual  way,"  was  Bannington's  caustic 
comment,  as  he  examined  the  miniature  bolt  with 
growing  interest.  "This  thing  has  some  good  points," 
he  said  after  a  moment.  "Did  you  take  out  foreign  pat- 
ents, too?" 

"Of  course  I  did.  I  don't  often  do  things  by 
halves." 

"That's  true  enough,"  admitted  Bannington,  "but 
you  often  burn  them  up  trying  to  get  them  cooked.  To 
be  perfectly  frank  with  you,  Dick,  this  contrivance  is 
clever ;  but  there  are  always  two  sides  to  be  considered 
before  one  gets  enthusiastic  about  a  patent.  For  in- 
stance, this  nut-lock,  one  way  or  the  other,  would 
probably  save  the  people  of  this  country  several  mil- 
lion dollars  a  year — and  the  manufacturers  of  bolts 
and  nuts  would  lose  it." 


DICK   LEAVES   THE   TRACK         235 

"It  would  also  save  many  lives — a  loose  tap  is  the 
cause  of  some  of  the  worst  accidents." 

"Certainly,  but  I  lumped  in  the  lives  with  the  rest, 
at  five  thousand  apiece.  Now  the  question  is,  can  we 
jump  the  price  of  bolts  sufficiently  to  make  more  profit 
off  of  safe  bolts,  which  are  not  lost,  than  we  can  off  of 
unsafe  bolts  which  will  have  to  be  replaced  ?  Cutting 
out  all  sentimental  stuff,  that  is  the  proposition.  That 
nut-lock  won't  do  you  any  good  alone,  but  if  you  will 
come  into  the  plant,  we'll  make  it  our  big  specialty,  and 
you'll  not  only  start  off  by  making  a  little  easy  money 
on  royalty,  but  you  can  save  as  many  lives  as  you 
want  to — through  the  prevention  of  accidents." 

The  old  man  was  trying  to  be  genial.  He  saw  the 
calm  determination  in  his  nephew's  face  and  attempted, 
by  means  of  a  facetious  cordiality,  to  bring  Dick  back 
to  the  boyish  simplicity  of  which  the  old  man  was  so 
fond,  and  in  which  he  found  the  best  temperature  at 
which  to  mold  and  temper  his  nephew. 

Slight  as  the  pretense  was,  Dick  felt  it.  It  had  an 
odd  effect :  his  conscience  thoroughly  approved  of  the 
course  he  had  planned,  and  yet,  in  some  vague  way,  it 
hurt  him  to  have  the  old  man  use  diplomacy  when 
power  was  the  only  force  that  appealed  to  him.  "Don't 
ask  me  again,  Uncle,"  he  said  soberly.  "It  is  undigni- 
fied on  your  part,  and  it  hurts  me  to  refuse.  I  can  not 
accept.  Come,  let  us  shake  hands  and  part  friends.  I 
feel  nothing  but  good-will  toward  you  and  as  soon 
as  I  get  a  good  start,  I'll  come  back  and  we'll  hold  a 
regular  reunion." 

A  sudden  storm  of  sorrow  and  pain  swept  over  the 


236  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

old  man.  For  years  all  the  softness  and  tenderness  of 
his  nature  had  flowed  out  in  secret  to  the  boy,  and  he 
had  expected  to  give  it  a  wider  vent  as  soon  as  they 
were  bound  together  by  a  mutual  purpose.  This  was 
the  spring  of  youth  at  which  he  had  hoped  to  drink, 
so  that  even  in  his  age,  a  strong,  rich  current  of  life 
might  surge  through  his  veins.  After  the  long  years 
of  repression  he  had  experienced  an  awkwardness  in 
opening  his  heart  to  the  boy,  and  yet  he  yearned  toward 
him  with  a  great  love  which,  now  that  it  was  dammed 
by  Dick's  self-confidence,  rose  up  in  his  heart  with  un- 
expected strength,  choking  him,  and  making  his  hands 
tremble. 

For  years  he  had  dreamed  of  having  Dick  as  a  chum, 
working  with  him,  playing  billiards  with  him,  taking 
long  walks  with  him,  having  a  little  real  fun  to  crown 
his  hard  life,  as  the  dainty  mistletoe  nestles  to  the 
rugged  oak — and  now  the  boy  was  going  away  again. 
Age  can  never  understand  why  youth  always  longs  for 
the  lonely  quest;  youth  can  never  understand  why 
age  still  craves  the  close,  warm  touch  of  true  com- 
panionship, and  yet  nature,  whether  her  steps  be  taken 
blindly  or  at  the  dictation  of  a  divine  purpose,  makes 
no  mistakes ;  and  though  the  path  leads  through  wilder- 
ness and  desert  and  along  frowning  cliffs,  yet  does  it 
wind  ever  upward  toward  the  unseen  country  of  under- 
standing love. 

Richard  Bannington  clenched  the  hands  that  trem- 
bled against  his  will,  and  when  he  tried  to  speak,  his 
voice  was  broken  and  husky.  "Dick,  you're — you're 
not  going  away?  You're  not  actually  going  to  leave 


DICK   LEAVES    THE   TRACK         237 

me?  Why,  Dick,  you  were  named  after  me,  and  if 
you  were  my  own  son,  I  couldn't  love  you  more. 
.When  your  mother  died,  your  father  couldn't  seem  to 
bear  the  sight  of  you  for  a  while,  and  I — why,  Dick, 
you  can't  imagine  how  I  used  to  pet  and  fondle  you — 
when  no  one  else  was  about.  I  know  I  have  a  rough 
tongue,  I've  had  to  be  rough,  but  not  with  you — no,  I 
haven't  been  rough  with  you.  Why,  Dick,  I  love  you 
like  a  father." 

"And  if  you  were  my  father,  it  is  too  late  for  me  to 
change  now,"  replied  the  boy,  still  true  to  the  hauteur 
of  his  years. 

"Why?"  asked  the  old  man. 

"Well,"  answered  Dick,  fading  it  easier  to  control 
himself  by  looking  at  the  flour  instead  of  at  his  uncle, 
"I  have  rented  an  office  and  fitted  it  up — this  was  what 
I've  been  doing  the  last  few  days.  I  have  engaged 
a  bookkeeper  and  a  general  office  man ;  I  have  had  my 
stationery  printed,  my  card  put  in  the  different  trade 
papers,  my  plan  of — " 

"Why  in  hell  didn't  you  incorporate  yourself  and  be 
done  with  it?"  flashed  the  old  man,  catching  the  first 
wave  of  his  reaction.  "You  don't  take  an  overly 
modest  view  of  your  own  worth,  at  any  rate,"  he  con- 
tinued sarcastically,  and  then  the  wave  having  passed 
on,  his  voice  softened  again.  "But  all  this  don't 
amount  to  anything — you  can  swing  all  this  into  the 
plant.  Why,  this  one  government  contract  will  mean 
more  than  twenty  years  hard  labor  on  your  own  hook. 
There  will  be  millions  of  bolts  used,  and  you  can  have 
all  the  opportunity  you  want  to  test  your  patent." 


238  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

"It  is  tested — it  is  perfect,  and  I  shall  push  it  myself. 
I  am  in  earnest,  Uncle,"  holding  out  a  steady  hand; 
"good-by." 

"And  so  this  is  really  the  end  of  all  my  plans  for 
you?"  said  Bannington  in  a  level  voice,  but  refusing  to 
see  the  hand  which  Dick  held  out.  "When  your  father 
died  and  turned  you  over  to  me,  I  swore  I'd  do  my  best, 
and  I  have  kept  my  oath.  You  haven't  been  a  bad  boy, 
Dick,  but  hanged  if  you've  been  a  restful  one.  I  doubt 
if  I  ever  made  a  plan  for  you  that  you  didn't  kick 
down,  jump  over,  or  crawl  through.  I  don't  want  you 
to  go,  Dick.  Can't  you  say  something  better  than 
good-by?  Haven't  you  a  single  kindly  thought  for 
the  business  your  father  started  and  worked  for?" 

Dick  hung  his  head  for  a  moment,  then  straightened 
up  and  said  in  a  friendly  tone,  but  with  a  trace  of 
pride:  "Yes,  I  have.  Now  listen,  this  nut-lock  of 
mine  is  all  right.  I  have  tested  it  under  water,  on  a 
jerk  movement,  and  under  alternating  pressure,  and  it 
is  perfect.  You  specify  it  in  your  bid,  and  I'll  give  you 
the  right  to  make  it  without  royalty.  It  is  the  Dickie 
Nut-Lock  and  the  name  is  copyrighted.  It  will  get  you 
the  contract ;  and — and  God  bless  you,  Uncle,  and  the 
plant,  too.  Good-by." 

He  grasped  the  old  man's  hand  and  shook  it  rapidly. 
Tears  were  welling  up  in  his  eyes,  but  he  turned  and 
hastened  from  the  room  before  they  had  a  chance  to 
moisten  his  cheeks. 

The  old  man  sank  back  in  his  chair,  his  hands  clasped 
tightly  across  his  breast,  and  his  breath  coming  in 
quick  catches,  closely  akin  to  sobs.  For  many  minutes 


DICK   LEAVES   THE   TRACK         239 

he  sat  thus,  fighting  a  battle  of  the  soul.  Had  some 
of  the  many  who  used  his  name  so  familiarly  and  so 
disrespectfully,  seen  him  at  this  moment — well,  prob- 
ably they  would  have  taken  it  as  an  exceptional  example 
of  fitting  punishment.  They  also  have  missions  to  per- 
form. 

"Foolish,  impulsive  boy!"  murmured  Richard  Ban- 
nington;  "he  has  taken  my  heart  with  him.  Oh,  he'll 
soon  get  enough  of  this  fighting  alone !  No,  he  won't ; 
it's  not  in  the  breed.  Confound  those  tramps  who  led 
him  astray!"  A  grim,  proud  smile  crossed  his  lips. 
"From  the  appearance  they  made  this  evening,  though, 
it  doesn't  look  as  if  they  did  much  of  the  leading. 

"He  had  no  right  to  turn  down  the  old  plant  this 
way — it  bears  his  father's  name.  That  is  a  good  patent 
of  his,  too.  Hanged  if  I  don't  specify  it  in  the  bid! 
I  can't  root  the  boy  out  of  my  heart,  and  I'm  not  going 
to  try.  I'll  specify  it  in  the  bid  and  then  when  he  gets 
tired  of  fighting  alone,  I'll  tell  him  it  was  his  nut-lock 
that  secured  the  contract,  and  he  can  come  back  without 
pocketing  his  pride.  The  Bannington  pride  is  a 
damned  bothersome  asset.  Poor  old  Dick;  I  was  like 
him,  myself,  once.  Lord,  it  seems  a  hundred  years 
ago!"  ' 

For  a  few  minutes  he  sat  in  reverie,  old  thoughts 
blending  with  new,  and  then  he  shrugged  his  shoulders 
as  if  to  cast  off  a  load.  The  Bannington  blood  was, 
in  truth,  fighting  blood,  and  the  old  man  had  won 
another  battle.  Already  his  private  war  was  laid  aside, 
and  the  great  struggle,  on  which  depended  the  life  of 
the  plant,  was  beginning  to  attract  his  attention.  He 


240  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

knew  there  would  be  many  a  lonely  hour  for  him,  but 
he  also  knew  the  lonely  hours  which  he  had  conquered 
in  the  past.  "Higgins !"  he  called  with  incredible  fierce- 
ness. "Higgins,  Higgins,  Higgins!  I  want  to  go  to 
bed." 

As  the  startled  butler  entered  the  door,  the  old  man 
rose  and  tested  his  foot  on  the  floor.  "Higgins,"  he 
said  in  a  friendly  tone,  "my  foot  is  very  much  better. 
I  think  that  to-morrow  will  be  the  last  day  of  your 
tyranny  over  me." 

And  Higgins,  who  had  again  sunk  to  the  comfortable 
level  where  it  was  not  necessary  for  him  to  think, 
replied  respectfully :  "Yes,  sir,  I  'ope  so,  sir." 


CHAPTER  XXII 

COMRADES    STILL 

FT  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  Dick  would  go  about 
-*-  the  selection  of  an  office  in  a  conventional  or 
orthodox  way.  Neither  is  it  to  be  supposed  that  he 
would  go  about  it  in  a  slipshod  or  haphazard  manner. 
Certainly  not.  The  most  natural  supposition  is  that 
his  selection  would  be  the  working  out  of  a  private 
theory,  and  this  would  end  the  supposing,  for  no  one 
who  knew  him  would  ever  waste  time  in  guessing 
about  one  of  his  unvoiced  theories. 

Dick  had  several  things  to  take  into  account,  and 
the  first  was  that  he  was  under  obligations  to  provide 
for  the  comfort  and  welfare  of  the  three  friends  who 
had  enlisted  under  his  banner.  He  had  guaranteed 
nothing,  but  there  was  an  understanding  all  around 
that  his  money  was  to  be  freely  used  in  propagating 
the  principles  for  which  they  stood,  and  now  that  he 
had  come  on  dry  times,  through  no  fault  of  theirs, 
he  made  it  a  point  of  honor  to  include  them  in  his 
new  arrangements. 

When  he  had  gone  up  to  his  room  after  the  inter- 
view with  his  uncle,  he  had  found  Ivan  sitting  bolt 
upright  on  its  most  uncomfortable  chair,  his  feet  rest- 
ing on  the  tattered  remains  of  the  cook's  gown,  and 
his  arms  folded  across  his  breast.  Dick's  heart  had 

241 


242  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

been  very  full  as  he  had  hurried  up  the  stairs  to  the 
old  room  where  so  many  of  his  boyish  pranks  had  been 
planned,  and  he  paused  on  the  threshold,  his  eyes 
winking  so  rapidly  that  at  first  he  did  not  see  the  rigid 
figure  of  his  former  ally. 

When  he  did  see  him,  his  face  lighted  and  he  crossed 
the  room  rapidly,  holding  out  his  hand.  "Ivan,"  he 
said  feelingly,  "I  am  rejoiced  to  see  you  safe  and 
sound.  How  did  you  escape  from  the  Burton  yard  ?" 

"I  was  chased  out  by  a  dog,  a  shepherd  dog,"  re- 
plied Ivan,  without  changing  a  line  in  his  somber  face. 
"Our  friendship  is  over." 

"Oh,  Ivan,"  said  Dick  sorrowfully,  "I  can't  give  up 
any  more  friends  to-night.  I  don't  blame  you  for  feel- 
ing cut  up  at  the  way  things  turned  out ;  but  I  had  no 
expectation  of  it,  and  I  did  the  best  I  could." 

"You  untied  the  very  dog  which  chased  me  from 
the  yard.  It  was  that  same  shepherd  dog." 

"Collie,"  murmured  Dick.  "Did  he  bite  j-»u?" 

"No,  he  would  run  at  me,  snarling  in  a  low  voice, 
act  as  though  he  was  going  to  spring,  and  then  turn 
aside.  There  was  not  one  stone  on  the  ground.  I  kept 
my  eyes  on  the  dog  and  fell  into  three  rose  bushes. 
That  was  the  ending.  You  led  me  into  danger  and 
then  deserted  me  uncaring,  to  turn  loose  on  me  a  dog." 

"And  even  worse  was  I  treated,"  said  Emil,  who, 
having  heard  the  voices,  had  come  in  without  attract- 
ing attention.  He  had  his  hat  on  his  head  and  his 
battered  traveling  case  in  his  hand.  "I  was  left  in  the 
filthy  den  of  a  bear,  where  I  remained  until  the 


COMRADES    STILL  243 

brutal  keepers  had  untied  themselves.  They  refused 
to  free  me  until  I  cursed  them  in  German,  telling  them 
that  I  intended  to  blow  up  with  dynamite  the  house. 
They  could  not  find  the  key,  and  lowered  to  me  a  rope. 
I  put  it  under  my  arms,  the  noose  slipped  and  I  was 
nearly  strangled.  When  we  all  reached  the  ground, 
I  tried  to  escape  with  dignity,  but  they  caught  me  the 
second  time  I  tripped,  and  dragged  me  before  your 
uncle.  He  is  of  great  sincerity.  He  apologized.  Now 
I  leave." 

Dick's  trunk  was  already  packed,  and  as  Emil  talked, 
he  had  been  hastily  changing  his  clothes.  His  attire 
was  in  too  extreme  negligee  to  give  proper  effect  to  the 
pain  which  evidenced  itself  in  his  boyish  face,  but  when 
Emil  had  finished  he  smiled  sadly,  and  said:  "Even 
the  rats  know  when  to  leave  a  sinking  ship,  and  so  I 
do  not  blame  you.  I  shall  not  ask  you  to  follow  me 
into  the  new  venture  which  I  am  about  to  undertake. 
The  chances  are  about  ten  to  one  against  me,  and  you 
have  already  put  up  with  a  lot  of  disappointment  on 
my  account." 

Dick  paused  and  his  two  listeners  looked  troubled. 
They  were  accustomed  to  his  quick  temper,  but  were 
unprepared  for  this  frank  admission  of  weakness,  or 
the  sorrowful  undertone  in  his  voice.  "I  want  to  tell 
you,  though,"  continued  Dick,  "that  I  did  the  best 
I  could  for  you.  I  hurried  to  the  den  and  found  Emil 
and  the  keepers  both  gone,  then  I  went  to  unfasten  the 
dog.  As  soon  as  he  started  for  home,  I  hurried  back 
to  Ivan,  remembered  that  I  should  need  a  rope,  and 


244  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

ran  around  to  the  den  to  get  it.  When  I  returned  to 
the  fence,  Ivan  was  gone. 

"I  don't  ask  your  forgiveness,  but  I  do  say  that 
I'm  mighty  sorry  that  things  turned  out  as  they  did, 
and  that  what  you  have  helped  me  do  to-night  is  one  of 
the  greatest  acts  of  my  life,  and  I  shall  never  forget 
it.  Any  time  or  any  place  that  I  can  do  you  a  service, 
just  let  me  know  and  you  will  see  whether  or  not  I 
am  ungrateful.  I  am  leaving  here  to-night  to  start 
in  a  little  business  of  my  own.  It  will  probably  be 
slim  eating  for  a  long  time,  and  I  am  glad  that  you  do 
not  feel  called  on  to  share  it  with  me;  although  I  did 
make  preparations  for  you." 

"Pouf,  pouf,  pouf!"  exclaimed  Emil,  waving  his 
hands  in  front  of  him  and  pursing  out  his  lips.  "What 
is  a  little  thing  like  being  dropped  into  an  empty  bear 
den  ?  It  is  but  a  choke !  Wherever  you-  are  willing 
to  go,  I  am  willing  to  follow,  and  I  am  fat;  I  can 
starve  a  long  time.  Pouf !" 

Ivan  held  out  his  hand.  "It  was  not  your  fault; 
you  did  what  you  could,  I  forgive  you  freely,  and  will 
not  desert  you  as  long  as  I  have  life.  When  do  we 
start?" 

Now  Dick  was  mightily  cheered  at  the  simple  loy- 
alty of  his  two  friends,  and  it  was  after  this  that  he 
remembered  the  count,  and  looked  into  the  hall  and  see- 
ing that  there  was  a  light  in  his  room,  had  knocked  on 
the  door.  The  interview  was  short  and  unpleasant: 
the  supercilious  smile  of  the  count,  which  did  not 
appear  on  the  surface,  but  seemed  to  lurk  behind  his 
polite  expression,  peering  out  at  each  little  corner 


COMRADES    STILL  245 

to  sneer  spitefully,  was  much  in  evidence,  and  Dick 
was  glad  when  it  was  over.  But  he  told  Lorrain  that 
while  he  was  at  present  in  no  position  to  be  of  assist- 
ance to  any  one,  he  would  be  at  his  service  the  very 
moment  he  was  capable  of  rendering  any.  He  begged 
Lorrain  to  send  him  his  address,  as  soon  as  he  was 
settled,  and  gave  him  his  new  business  card.  As  Lor- 
rain read,  "Mr.  Richard  E.  Bannington,  Mechanical 
Engineer,  President  of  The  Dickie  Nut-Lock  Company, 
Suite  Three,  96  Nathan  Street,  New  York  City,"  his 
supercilious  smile  removed  its  veil  and  seemed  to  swag- 
ger. But  only  for  a  moment,  after  which  he  bowed, 
thanked  Dick,  said  he  would  guard  the  card  carefully, 
and  they  shook  hands.  Lorrain  told  him  that  his 
arrangements  for  leaving  the  next  morning  were  com- 
pleted, and  as  Dick  joined  his  other  two  friends,  he 
gave  a  sigh  of  relief. 

Nathan  was  an  odd  little  street,  finished  long  ago, 
tossed  into  a  vacant  nook  on  the  East  Side,  and  forgot- 
ten. It  had  originally  been  intended  for  a  residence 
street ;  but  was  now  used  for  anything  that  pleased  the 
fancy  of  him  who  happened  to  find,  and  decide  to 
make  use  of  it.  It  was  of  all  things  heterogeneous,  and 
therefore  quite  adapted  to  the  mind  of  Dick  Banning- 
ton. 

He  had  furnished  his  offices  rather  hastily,  and  he 
and  his  staff  found  much  to  do  when  they  took  pos- 
session at  seven  o'clock  the  next  morning  without  hav- 
ing tasted  sleep  for  twenty-four  hours.  But  what  was 
sleep  with  a  new  project,  only  awaiting  a  few  finish- 
ing touches  for  its  launching?  They  turned  to  with 


246  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

a  will ;  but  it  required  a  week's  steady  labor  to  arrange 
the  two-room  suite  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  cautious 
president  of  the  Dickie  Nut-Lock  Company. 

Dick  was  much  changed :  his  lips  were  set,  with  the 
lower  one  protruding  a  little  in  fixed  determination, 
his  eyes  appeared  to  gaze  into  empty  space,  but  the 
drawn  brows  above  them  denoted  concentrated 
thought;  and  Emil  and  Ivan  had  found  it  necessary 
to  adjust  themselves  a  little  to  fit  in  with  the  new  or- 
der. Their  questions  were  usually  ignored,  and  when 
Dick  conveyed  a  request  to  them  it  was  put  into  the 
form  of  an  order,  a  brief,  comprehensive  command, 
and  they  felt  instinctively  that  much  was  staked  on 
this  new  venture,  and  gradually  adapted  themselves  to 
its  requirements. 

The  requirements  were  boring  rather  than  wearing. 
As  soon  as  the  offices  were  arranged,  there  was  nothing 
to  do  but  sit  in  the  outer  office  behind  a  brass  netting 
and  look  intelligent  and  busy.  As  no  one  ever  came, 
this  occupation  soon  lost  its  novelty,  and  while  Emil 
improved  his  opportunity  by  reading  heavy  books, 
Ivan  was  forced  to  ease  his  mind  by  frequent  sigh- 
ings.  Dick  spent  his  time  in  his  private  office,  and,  as 
much  of  it  was  devoted  to  pacing  up  and  down,  his  re- 
tainers found  much  mental  exercise  in  speculating  on 
his  ultimate  intentions. 

They  ate  breakfast  and  supper  in  the  outer  office, 
where  Emil  and  Ivan  also  slept,  Dick  and  the  faith- 
ful Mulligan  sleeping  in  his  private  office.  The  great 
wall  safe  in  the  outer  office  with  "The  Dickie  Nut- 
Lock  Company"  artistically  painted  on  it,  was  in  real- 


COMRADES    STILL  247 

ity  an  ice-box;  an  expensive  letter-filing  cabinet  was 
arranged  to  hold  table  furniture;  while  comfortable 
bunks  were  arranged  beneath  the  counter  which 
formed  the  lower  portion  of  the  partition  which  sep- 
arated the  office  force  from  possible  clients.  They 
were  really  quite  cozy — as  far  as  their  material  bodies 
were  concerned.  Generally  they  studied  East-side  con- 
ditions during  the  evening,  or  took  part  in  some  meet- 
ing held  for  the  elevation  of  the  submerged  tenth, 
which  takes  such  an  impersonal  and  complacent  view 
of  its  own  condition. 

But  with  the  second  week  came  a  great  yearning  in 
Dick's  heart  to  see  the  girl  again.  They  had  made  no 
plans  for  a  future  meeting,  for  young  love,  being  eter- 
nal, deals  only  with  the  present;  and  one  of  Dick's 
knotty  problems  was  the  discovering  of  a  way  to  meet 
her,  which  would  be  apt  to  have  no  disastrous  compli- 
cations. He  had  every  reason  to  believe  that  her  fa- 
ther and  her  aunt  would  offer  strenuous  objections,  and 
he  felt  a  justifiable  hesitation  in  suggesting  another 
clandestine  meeting,  even  if  he  had  had  any  safe 
method  of  conveying  a  message. 

But  even  when  one  is  worried  and  in  addition  to 
this,  wills  it  with  all  his  might,  one  does  not  thoroughly 
age  in  a  single  fortnight,  and  so  the  Saturday  night  of 
the  second  week  found  Dick  en  route  for  Minster.  He 
went  alone  and  he  went  with  an  open  heart,  trusting 
that  the  gods  would  provide  him  with  an  op^o  tunity, 
if  only  he  place  himself  in  the  best  position  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  it. 

From  Minster,  he  hastened  to  the  little  road  which 


248  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

ran  past  the  rear  of  Bannington  Park.  He  hurried  up 
this  until  he  found  the  oak  tree  post-office,  knelt  with 
a  beating  heart,  ran  his  hand  through  the  hedge,  and 
with  much  effort  into  the  hole  near  the  base.  His 
heart  stopped  still  and  then  gave  a  mighty  leap — his 
hand  had  touched  a  note. 

Hastily  drawing  it  forth,  he  tried  to  read  it  in  the 
darkness;  but  strain  his  eyes  as  he  would,  it  was  im- 
possible to  make  out  a  single  word,  and  he  dared  not 
strike  a  match,  for  fear  of  attracting  attention.  He 
hurried  up  the  road  until  back  of  the  Staunton  place, 
and  then  struck  the  match.  A  light,  fitful  breeze  was 
blowing,  and  the  match  went  out.  The  second,  third, 
and  fourth  did  likewise.  Then  he  used  care  and  was 
able  to  read  the  heading.  The  words,  "My  Dearest," 
in  Kate's  well-known  writing  affected  him  like  the 
touch  of  a  live  wire,  and  the  fifth  match  went  out.  It 
mattered  but  little,  the  words  continued  to  dance  be- 
fore him,  filling  the  world  with  wondrous  beauty  and 
surpassing  joy. 

After  reveling  in  this  glorious  sensation  for  a  time, 
he  had  a  curiosity  to  see  if  the  note  contained  other 
items  of  importance  or  interest.  He  searched  pocket 
after  pocket,  but  did  not  have  a  single  remaining  match, 
and  fell  to  cursing  his  luck  in  truly  melodramatic  style 
because  he  had  not  carried  the  note  toward  Minster 
instead  of  away  from  it. 

He  did  not  waste  much  time  at  this;  but  thrusting 
the  note  into  the  pocket  over  his  heart,  he  retraced  his 
steps  at  a  brisk  run.  When  he  reached  the  Burton 
place,  he  stopped,  went  up  close  to  the  hedge  and  took 


COMRADES    STILL  249 

a  careful  survey.  The  note  seemed  his  commission  to 
storm  the  castle  and  take  his  lady  away  by  force ;  but 
a  little  reflection  showed  him  the  wisdom  of  reading 
the  remainder  of  the  note  first,  and  he  continued  to 
run  until  he  reached  the  first  street  lamp. 

Here  the  president  of  the  Dickie  Nut-Lock  Company 
paused  and  taking  the  note  from  his  pocket,  he  read  it 
with  the  light  falling  on  a  face  whose  beaming  fairly 
put  it  to  shame : 

"My  DEAREST — A  full  week  has  passed  and  I  have 
not  heard  from  you  and  do  not  know  where  you  are. 
Oh,  I  want  so  much  to  see  you !  I  have  such  loads  and 
loads  of  things  to  say.  I  reached  home  safely,  and 
went  to  bed  without  meeting  auntie.  When  she  came 
in  a  little  later,  she  gave  a  gasp  of  surprise  but  I  pre- 
tended to  be  asleep,  and  she  did  not  say  anything  until 
after  father  had  left  the  next  morning.  Then  she  told 
me  that  I  had  frightened  her  terribly;  but  did  not  go 
into  details  concerning  her  own  misadventures  of  the 
preceding  evening,  nor  question  me  beyond  reason; 
and  she  still  thinks  I  merely  took  a  terribly  long  walk 
with  Bayard.  She  told  me  that  if  I  ever  went  walking 
after  dark  again  it  would  be  without  her  consent,  and 
I  was  so  glad  to  escape  without  a  confession,  that  I 
gave  her  my  promise. 

"Every  morning  I  have  put  a  note  in  our  post-office, 
and  every  afternoon  I  have  come  and  found  it  unan- 
swered; and  have  taken  it  out  and  have  pretended  an 
answer ;  but  it  is  no  fun.  At  first  I  scolded  you ;  but 
as  the  days  passed  and  I  became  more  lonesome,  my 
notes  have  become  more  frank;  until  now  I  feel  no 
embarrassment  in  writing  that  I  want  to  see  you  more 
than  any  one  else  in  the  whole  world. 

"Perhaps,  if  I  really  thought  you  would  read  this, 


250  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

I  should  not  dare  to  write  it ;  but  this  is  the  last  note  I 
shall  write  until  I  get  an  answer.  I  shall  leave  it  here 
and  come  every  day,  but  I  shall  'not  take  out  the  note 
until  I  hear  from  you  in  some  other  way.  I  scarcely 
know  whether  I  am  writing  to  you  or  to  myself.  I 
wonder  where  you  are  and  what  you  are  doing. 
"Yours  truly, 

"K." 

"P.  S. — What  a  perfectly  nonsensical  ending ! 

"And  yet  I  fear  it  fits  the  note." 

After  reviling  himself  at  his  lack  of  forethought  in 
not  having  provided  himself  with  suitable  stationery, 
Dick  tore  a  leaf  from  his  note-book,  filled  both  sides 
with  glowing  sentiments,  and  on  a  fresh  leaf  gave  her 
a  few  details  of  his  new  career,  ending  up  with  the 
simple  statement  that  while  it  was  against  his  will  or 
intention,  yet  the  concern  of  which  he  was  president 
would  probably  be  antagonistic  to  both  her  father  and 
his  uncle — an  item  which  might  have  added  to  the 
amusement  of  these  gentlemen — and  therefore  he  sug- 
gested that  she  arrange  to  meet  him  without  causing 
any  uneasiness  on  their  part.  He  offered  the  plan  of 
her  pretending  to  mope  until  her  aunt  noticed  it,  and 
then  to  affirm  that  it  was  owing  to  the  discontinuance 
of  her  evening  walks. 

In  justice,  it  must  be  confessed  that  Dick  was  pre- 
pared to  evince  a  noble  submission  to  this  state  of  af- 
fairs, provided  the  girl  saw  as  he  did.  Just  they  two  on 
the  little  back  road,  with  the  soft  shadows  all  around 
and  the  soft  starlight  above,  was  a  much  more  attrac- 
tive conception  than  a  formal  call  in  a  formal  drawing- 
room,  with  a  formal  auntie  always  within  earshot ;  and 


COMRADES    STILL  25  r' 

if  circumstances  compelled  them  to  resort  to  the  ro- 
mantic, rather  than  the  conventional,  why  he  was  pre- 
pared to  be  resigned  in  his  heart,  even  if  he  did  feel 
called  on  to  express  verbal  regret. 

He  hurried  back  to  the  oak  tree,  pressed  his  lips  to 
the  note  in  place  of  a  stamp,  thrust  it  into  the  open- 
ing, and  returned  to  New  York  very  much  uplifted  in 
spirit. 

There  was  no  answer  to  the  note  on  the  next  night, 
or  the  next,  or  the  next ;  but  on  Wednesday  evening, 
he  found  an  answer  which  he  read  at  once  by  the  elec- 
tric torch  with  which  he  had  provided  himself. 

There  was  no  heading  to  the  note  and  its  tone  was 
a  little  chilling.  It  began  by  saying  that  if  she  had 
ever  supposed  that  he  would  read  it,  she  most  certainly 
should  not  have  written  so  silly  a  note,  and  that  she 
could  not  understand  how  he  could  have  taken  it  seri- 
ously. She  next  informed  him  that  she  did  not  feel 
justified  in  doing  anything  of  which  her  father,  who 
had  always  indulged  her,  did  not  approve;  and  that 
it  was  totally  unnecessary  for  her  to  pretend  to  mope, 
as  she  had  really  been  ill  and  her  aunt  had  suggested 
that  she  resume  her  romps  with  Bayard,  which  would 
undoubtedly  include  a  short  walk  in  tne  twilight.  She 
ended  by  saying  that  she  hoped  he  would  succeed  in 
business;  but  did  not  fear  his  competition  with  her 
father.  There  was  no  signature,  not  even  an  initial, 
and  Dick  turned  off  his  torch  and  sat  down  dejectedly 
at  the  side  of  the  road. 

He  sat  there  for  over  an  hour  and  he  was  very  dole- 
ful, until  at  last  his  pride  asserted  itself  and  he  turned 


252  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

on  the  torch  once  more,  shading  its  rays  with  his  coat. 
He  wrote  across  the  bottom  of  the  note :  "I  hope  you 
enjoy  your  evening  walks — with  Bayard;"  folded  it 
roughly,  and  returned  it  to  the  opening. 

As  he  straightened  up,  he  noted  with  surprise  that 
the  high  fence  had  been  removed. 

"There'll  be  some  more  high  things  taken  down  be- 
fore I'm  through,"  he  said  grimly,  as  he  strode  off 
toward  Minster.  He  had  no  expectation  of  seeing  that 
location  again  for  a  long  time;  but  he  took  no  back- 
ward look.  And  this  was  a  mistake,  for  the  branches 
of  the  trees  made  a  beautiful  arch  in  the  brilliant  star- 
light. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

LEARNING  THE  LEVERS 

I"  N  the  outer  office  of  suite  three,  ninety-six  Nathan 
•*-  Street,  there  was  a  telephone  booth,  and  in  the  booth 
was  a  private  exchange,  the  single  wire  of  which  led  to 
the  private  office  of  the  president.  It  was  Ivan's  duty 
to  answer  the  calls,  and  if  they  were  of  sufficient  im- 
portance, to  connect  the  inner  telephone.  It  was  a  task 
which  did  not  strain  his  power  of  endurance. 

On  the  Saturday  following  Dick's  disappointment, 
Ivan  answered  the  telephone  about  ten  in  the  morning, 
and  was  told  bruskly  to  put  the  president  on  the  wire. 

"Who  is  it  that  wishes  to  speak  to  him?"  asked  Ivan 
calmly. 

"Is  he  there?"  the  voice  asked,  ignoring  the  ques- 
tion. 

"My  instructions  are,  not  to  bother  him  with  any  un- 
important matters,  and  it  will  save  time  if  you  give 
your  name  and  business,"  replied  Ivan  in  the  same 
placid  voice. 

"I  am  William  Burton  of  the  National  Steel  Mills, 
and  I  want  to  speak  to  your  president  at  once,"  replied 
the  voice  with  every  symptom  of  assurance. 

Dick  was  placed  on  the  wire.  "Well?"  he  demanded 
shortly. 

"I  want  to  know  something  about  these  nut-locks." 

253 


254  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

"Who  is  this  talking?" 

"This  is  William  Burton  of  the  National  Steel 
Mills." 

Dick  gave  a  start,  but  instantly  recovered  himself. 
A  smile  of  triumph  played  about  his  lips  for  a  second, 
and  then  his  face  took  on  a  keen  watchfulness,  and 
he  answered  easily:  "Well,  what  is  it  you  want  to 
know  about  the  nut-lock?" 

"I  want  to  know  all  about  it." 

Dick  laughed.  "I'm  afraid  I  haven't  time  to  gratify 
you  to  that  extent.  Have  you  never  seen  the  Dickie 
nut-lock?" 

"Never  heard  of  it  until  yesterday.  What  is  the 
price  of  it?  How  promptly  can  you  deliver?  In  what 
quantities,  and  where  are — " 

"If  you  will  send  a  man  over,  he  can  see  a  demon- 
stration; or,  if  you  prefer,  I  can  send  a  man  to  you. 
We  have  an  appliance  which  instantly  shows  the  secu- 
rity of  the  lock,  and — " 

"Send  him  over  at  once." 

"Whom  shall  I  have  him  ask  for?" 

"Have  him  ask  for  me.  I  want  to  see  what  it  is. 
If  I  decide  to  take  some — but  I'll  wait  until  I  see  it. 
Send  him  at  once,  will  you?" 

"As  soon  as  possible,"  replied  Dick  politely,  after 
which  he  hung  up  the  receiver,  lit  a  cigar,  clasped  his 
hands  behind  his  head  and  leaned  back  in  his  com- 
fortable office  chair. 

"Mulligan,  sit  on  this  chair  beside  me,  I  want  to  con- 
sult with  you,"  he  said  to  the  dog  who  was  stretched 
out  at  his  feet. 


LEARNING    THE   LEVERS  255 

The  dog  jumped  up  on  the  chair.  Dick  put  his 
hand  on  the  rugged  neck  of  his  four-footed  counselor, 
and  proceeded  to  discuss  the  subject.  "Why  does 
William  Burton  of  the  National  Steel  Mills  desire 
Dickie  nut-locks?  That's  the  question,  Mulligan. 
Where  did  he  hear  of  them,  how  did  he  become  inter- 
ested in  them,  why  does  he  want  to  know  about  our 
ability  to  deliver?  I  wish  I  was  more  familiar  with 
my  own  business,  Mulligan.  I  wish  I  knew  how  to 
get  some  information  that  I  am  much  in  need  of.  I 
wish  business  was  more  like  foot-ball. 

"Now,  the  only  thing  that  looks  reasonable  to  me,  is 
the  most  nonsensical  thing  of  all.  Which  sounds  rather 
paradoxical,  does  it  not,  Mulligan?  Well,  to  be  brief, 
so  that  William  B.  will  not  be  kept  in  the  stew  too  long, 
the  only  explanation  that  looks  right  to  me  is  that  my 
respected  uncle  did  include  the  Dickie  nut-lock  in  his 
bid,  for  some  occult  purpose  of  his  own;  the  Burton 
bid  was  lower  but  the  far-famed  and  justly  celebrated 
Dickie  nut-lock  was  not  included;  and  so  his  bid  was 
turned  back  to  be  rearranged  with  regard  to  these 
most  important  safeguards. 

"Can  it  be,  Mulligan,  can  it  really  be,  that  after  all 
our  beloved  country  is  really  conscientious  once  in  a 
while  ?  Can  it  be,  gentle  one,  that  the  pamphlets  with 
which  we  showered  Washington  have,  some  of  them, 
fallen  on  good  ground  and  are  already  bearing  fruit  ? 
If  this  be  true,  Mulligan— and  do  not  forget,  lest  your 
ready  patriotism  be  too  early  aroused,  that  this  is 
merely  speculation — if  this  be  true,  then  verily  I  say 
unto  you,  there  is  hope  in  Gilead.  If  the  government 


256  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

refuses  to  consider  bids  which  do  not  include  Dickie 
nut-locks,  then  I  have  them  by  the  short  hair.  Yea, 
Mulligan,  by  the  short  and  tender  hair,  and  my  grip 
is  what  is  technically  called  a  peacherino !  Oh,  Mulli- 
gan, if  this  be  true,  and  you  are  aware  that  I  am  not 
given  to  impulsive  enthusiasms,  then  there  will  be 
rejoicing  among  the  daughters  of  men  when  I  lead 
William  B.  and  my  respected  uncle  around  by  their 
noses,  making  them  do  fancy  little  dance  steps. 

"You  can't  do  good  work  without  a  theory,  Mulli- 
gan, and  this  is  the  theory  upon  which  I  am  going  to 
base  my  acts.  I  have  nothing  to  lose  but  my  chains ; 
which  is  a  thoroughly  orthodox  position;  but  I  wish, 
just  for  a  month  or  so,  that  I  had  a  little  larger  capital. 
I  have  a  wonderfully  clear  vision,  Mulligan,  and  the 
funny  part  of  it  is,  that  I  never  knew  it  before.  I  can 
see  way  ahead  to  the  point  where  the  two  princes  of  the 
steel  industry  throw  themselves  at  my  feet  and  beg  for 
mercy.  And  they  shall  have  it,  my  sedate  philosopher, 
they  shall  have  it  in  large  measure — but  at  a  price ;  yes, 
oh,  yes,  at  a  fair  and  pleasing  price. 

"Remember  this,  Mulligan,  it  is  Wiliam  B.  who  is 
anxious  about  Dickie  nut-locks,  not  I.  In  case  this 
slips  my  memory  for  a  moment,  I  want  you  to  come 
before  me,  in  ,the  spirit  of  course,  and  look  at  me  with 
the  same  godlike  calm  which  is  at  present  gracing  your 
features.  As  a  bit  of  a  compliment,  friend  wrinkle- 
face,  permit  me  to  say  that  you  have  Buddha  and  the 
Sphinx  looking  like  a  ballet,  and  peace  of  mind  is 
just  as  contagious  as  grippe.  I'll  admit  to  you  at  this 
time,  that  details  were  never  my  long  suit.  No  scheme 


LEARNING   THE   LEVERS  257 

of  mine  that  I  ever  handled  alone  ever  went  amiss,  but 
as  a  rule  I  left  the  details  to  supernumeraries — and 
they,  in  turn,  left  them  to  luck.  This  time  I  am  going 
to  put  all  my  eggs  into  one  omelet — and  I  am  going  to 
eat  the  omelet.  Don't  forget  now ;  you  are  to  be  a  con- 
stant reminder  that  William  B.  is  more  anxious  about 
Dickie  nut-locks  than  Mr.  Richard  E.  Bannington. 

"But  I  wish  to  Heaven  I  knew  exactly  why !" 

After  studying  the  matter  a  few  minutes  longer, 
Dick  touched  the  button  on  his  desk,  and  Ivan  entered 
obsequiously.  It  had  been  arranged  from  the  begin- 
ning that  practice  being  of  great  importance,  all  trans- 
actions during  office  hours  should  be  carried  on  with 
the  utmost  precision. 

"Mr.  Michaelowski,"  said  the  president  in  cold,  dis- 
tant tones,  "I  want  you  to  take  a  demonstrator  to  the 
offices  of  the  National  Steel  Mills,  and  ask  for  its  presi- 
dent. Show  him  fully  the  workings  of  the  lock,  point- 
ing out  its  great  money-  and  life-saving  qualities,  but 
with  the  most  careful  tact,  avoid  disclosing  any 
information  concerning  our  manufacturing  plant,  the 
number  of  men  in  our  employ — in  fact,  any  of  the 
private  affairs  of  our  business." 

"Yes,  sir." 

"When  you  leave  them,  go  to  some  other  house  and 
give,  or  at  least  attempt  to  give  a  demonstration.  Pick 
out  an  important  house,  you  have  plenty  of  time  before 
you  start.  Pick  out  a  good  one  and  it  will  be  well  to 
pretend  that  you  have  an  appointment.  You  will 
probably  be  watched  when  you  leave  the  National,  and 
it  is  advisable  to  give  them  to  understand  that  they 


258  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

are  entitled  to  only  a  small  part  of  our  time.  Don't 
make  a  call  on  Burton,  remember;  go  through  the 
demonstration  as  briskly  as  possible,  explain  why  you 
did  not  come  earlier,  and  that  you  have  other  concerns 
clamoring  for  attention.  You  understand,  play  the 
game  bravely;  the  other  fellow  don't  know  what  you 
have  buried — and  neither  do  you,  as  far  as  that  goes, 
so  swing  as  wide  as  you  want  to." 

"What  is  their  address?"  asked  Ivan. 

Dick  stared  at  him.  "Address?"  he  repeated.  "Do 
you  for  one  minute  suppose  that  the  president  of  a 
concern  like  this  has  time  to  hunt  up  addresses?" 

Dick  was  a  finished  actor.  During  his  short  life, 
he  had  already  taken  many  parts,  and  he  occasionally, 
took  his  present  one  so  convincingly  that  even  his 
satellites  were  impressed.  In  the  present  instance  Ivan 
looked  as  though  he  had  received  a  slap. 

Dick's  ready  sympathy  prompted  him  to  a  temporary 
relaxation.  "That's  all  right,  Ivan,"  he  said  in  a 
kindly,  albeit  a  somewhat  patronizing  voice,  "you 
can't  become  perfect  in  a  week.  When  you  return,  get 
a  large  apple  pie,  and  we'll  spread  ourselves  a  little. 
Remember,  it  doesn't  make  the  slightest  difference 
whether  or  not  the  nut-lock  pleases  Burton.  I  don't 
care  a  hang  if  he  never  buys  one;  but  I  do  care  about 
his  finding  out  anything  about  my  business.  That's 
all,  and  good  luck  to  you." 

Mulligan  again  stretched  himself  on  the  rug.  Diclc 
placed  his  heels  on  the  polished  surface  of  his  new 
desk,  and  continued  to  speculate  on  the  probable  out- 
come of  his  deal  with  William  Burton.  It  is  not 


LEARNING   THE   LEVERS  259 

asserted  that  the  force  of  gravity  has  any  influence  on 
the  human  mind,  but  the  fact  is  well  known  that  this 
same  mind  is  much  more  easily  controlled  when  its 
owner's  body  is  tilted  forward  that  when  it  is  tilted 
back. 

Dick  suddenly  slapped  his  thigh,  dropped  his  feet  to 
the  floor,  and  sat  perfectly  erect.  "I  wonder  if  she 
could  have  meant  that  as  a  hint?"  he  suddenly  asked 
the  empty  air. 

"She  said  that  her  romps  with  Bayard  would  cer- 
tainly include  walks  in  the  twilight.  What  a  chump  I 
have  been !  I'll  go  out  there  early  to-night  and  see  if 
those  walks  in  the  twilight  are  taken  on  our  little  back 
road.  Great  Scott,  I'm  so  slow  I'd  get  heart  failure 
trying  to  elude  a  snail!" 

It  was  after  one  before  Ivan  returned,  and  as  usual, 
luncheon  was  eaten  in  the  private  office  of  the  presi- 
dent for  fear  that  the  ever-possible  customer  might 
arrive  at  an  inopportune  time.  The  closet  where  they 
kept  their  staple  groceries  opened  on  the  hall  and  was 
originally,  or  at  least  formerly,  used  for  fuel.  It 
adjoined  Dick's  office,  and  he  had  had  a  doonvay  cut 
through  and  fitted  with  a  handsome  glazed  door  upon 
which  was  inscribed  the  dignified  words,  Vice-Presi- 
dent.  It  was  arranged  that  if  any  one  had  the  poor 
taste  to  intrude  on  their  noonday  meal,  Ivan  was  to 
slip  out  through  the  closet  and  inform  the  adventurer 
that  the  president  was  engaged  in  private  conference 
and  could  not  be  disturbed  for  an  hour.  The  ruse  had 
heretofore  been  unnecessary,  but  the  feeling  of  security 
gave  an  added  zest  to  their  meals. 


260  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

During  these  meals,  social  barriers  were  leveled 
and  they  discussed  matters  of  general  interest,  but  as 
soon  as  this  particular  luncheon  was  finished  and  the 
dishes  washed  and  put  away,  Dick  said:  "Now,  Mr. 
Michaelowski,  you  may  report  to  me  upon  your  assign- 
ment." 

"He  was  pleased  with  the  nut-lock;  I  could  tell  by 
his  face,"  said  Ivan.  "But  he  did  not  ask  many  ques- 
tions about  it,  nor  did  he  order  any.  He  asked  the 
price  and  I  gave  him  the  price  up  to  ten-thousand  lots 
in  the  common  sizes,  telling  him  that  at  present  the 
price  on  all  larger  lots  had  to  be  referred  to  the  presi- 
dent. He  asked  me  all  kinds  of  questions  about  your- 
self and  the  business,  but  I  did  not  heed  them.  I 
merely  pointed  out  additional  qualifications  of  the  nut- 
lock.  He  is  not  a  patient  man.  He  said  he  would 
have  you  call  in  person." 

"He  did,  did  he?"  asked  Dick.  "Well,  I  wonder 
who  he  thinks  he  is.  I  call  in  person!  Well,  his 
impertinence  is  certainly  refreshing.  You  did  well, 
Ivan.  Now  I  am  called  out  of  town  this  afternoon 
to  examine  sites  for  tunnel  terminals.  Make  no  ap- 
pointments for  me  but  take  names  and  numbers  of  all 
who  call.  That  is  all." 

Dick  reached  Minster  before  seven  o'clock  and  was 
soon  walking  out  the  back  road  in  the  direction  of  Ban- 
nington  Park.  He  was  feeling  very  much  alive.  The 
fact  that  the  National  Steel  Mills  was  nibbling  at  his 
bait  was  joy  enough  for  one  day;  but  in  addition,  he 
was  by  this  time  convinced  that  the  incidental  line  in 
the  girl's  note  was  really  its  mesage,  and  that  he  was 


LEARNING    THE   LEVERS  261 

practically  going  to  an  appointment.    His  heart  played 
a  merry  march  and  his  springy  stride  kept  pace  to  it. 

He  walked  on  the  side  of  the  road  farthest  from  the 
park,  and  by  the  time  he  reached  the  Burton  place  it 
was  nearly  dark.  He  did  not  pause,  but  hurried  on, 
hoping  either  to  overtake  the  girl  or  else  meet  her  on 
her  return. 

He  had  just  reached  the  center  of  the  rear  hedge 
of  Bannington  Park  when  he  saw  Bayard  coming 
toward  him  in  the  dusk.  He  and  the  dog  had  estab- 
lished terms  of  neutrality,  if  not  actual  friendship,  and 
Bayard  came  up  to  him  without  hesitation.  Dick  patted 
the  dog's  head  effusively ;  but  the  next  moment  he  saw 
the  girl  coming  toward  them  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
road.  He  was  just  about  to  cross  when  he  saw  that 
she  was  not  alone. 

Drawing  himself  close  to  the  trunk  of  an  adjacent 
tree,  he  waited  breathlessly  until  she  had  passed,  but 
could  not  identify  her  companion,  except  that  it  was  a 
man  and  that  it  was  not  her  father. 

Bayard  had  resumed  his  position  as  advance  guard, 
and  Dick  stole  stealthily  after,  without  questioning  the 
propriety  of  the  action.  Dick  was  healthily  primitive. 
The  pair  in  front  walked  at  a  fair  pace,  while  Dick  was 
apprehensive  of  being  discovered,  and  so  did  not  come 
close  enough  to  overhear  their  conversation. 

When  they  reached  the  rear  gate,  he  heard  the  girl- 
ask  a  question  at  which  the  man  laughed.  Dick  knew 
the  laugh ;  it  belonged  to  Claude  Lorrain,  and  as  the 
gate  closed  behind  them,  he  ground  his  teeth  in  the 
darkness. 


262  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

With  hands  thrust  into  his  pockets  and  bitter 
thoughts  in  his  heart,  Dick  plowed  down  the  road  to 
Minster,  a  luxurious  rage  steaming  in  his  heart.  Any; 
one  but  Lorrain !  a  cad,  a  hypocrite,  a  libertine — Dick 
had  used  most  of  the  terms  of  reproach  before  he 
arrived  at  the  first  Minster  street  lamp. 

Associated  ideas  invariably  influenced  him,  and 
this  lamp  recalled  the  night  on  which  he  had  read  the 
note  which  had  so  uplifted  him.  Without  a  pause  he 
countermarched  and  returned  to  the  oak  tree  at  an 
increased  speed. 

"If  that  were  meant  for  a  message,  and  I  was  fool 
enough  to  miss  it,  and  she  did  walk  alone  expecting  to 
meet  me ;  why  she  has  a  right  to  flaunt  even  that  para- 
site in  my  face!"  he  exclaimed,  his  intentions  being 
better  than  his  logic. 

He  reached  his  hand  into  the  opening  in  the  oak, 
and  found  a  note.  He  crossed  the  road  and  walked 
a  hundred  yards  to  a  clump  of  bushes  before  reading  it. 
It  was  the  same  note  at  which  he  had  become  incensed 
on  his  previous  call.  Across  the  bottom,  he  read  his 
own  message :  "I  hope  you  enjoy  your  evening  walks 
— with  Bayard;"  and  beneath  this  in  the  girl's  hand, 
were  the  inscrutable  words :  "Thank  you." 

He  turned  off  his  torch  and  sat  down  to  think,  but 
found  himself  in  no  mood  for  it.  The  supercilious 
face  of  the  count  insisted  on  intruding;  and  at  last,  he 
turned  on  the  flash  and  scribbled :  "I  regret  that  one 
dog  did  not  prove  sufficient  escort." 

Slipping  the  note  into  its  former  resting-place,  Dick 
started  toward  Minster.  The  crude  barbarity  of  his 


LEARNING   THE   LEVERS  263 

message  was  exactly  the  caustic  balsam  he  needed  and 
by  the  time  he  had  reached  Minster,  his  face  was  com- 
pletely turned  to  the  future  once  more.  He  very  rarely 
protracted  the  wake  over  a  dead  past. 

As  the  lamp  again  impressed  itself  on  his  vision,  he 
stopped  short  and  raised  his  right  fist.  "It  was  an  evil 
day  for  old  William  Burton  when  his  daughter  threw 
me  over  for  such  a  creature  as  that,"  he  said  solemnly. 
"If  I  get  him  where  I  want  him,  I  shall  crush  him  as 
I  would  an  egg." 

As  the  National  Steel  Mills  was  rather  a  large  egg 
for  the  Dickie  Nut-Lock  Company  to  crush,  this 
speech,  made  on  a  lonely  back  road,  may  be  looked  on 
as  one  of  those  boyish  threats  of  a  strictly  private 
nature,  which  will  ever  and  anon  burst  from  the  oldest 
of  us.  Still  Dick  brought  his  right  fist  down  on  his 
left  palm  as  though  he  fully  meant  it. 

When  he  reached  the  station,  he  considered  the 
advisability  of  making  a  call  on  his  uncle.  The 
fact  that  this  would  take  him  by  the  front  gate  of  the 
Burton  place  was  offered  in  the  general  argument ;  but 
in  the  end  he  shook  his  head  and  continued  on  his  way 
to  ninety-six  Nathan  Street. 

Entering  his  private  office,  he  found  among  the  fic- 
titious entries  with  which  his  desk  bulletin  was  daily 
covered,  the  bona  fide  announcement  that  William 
Burton  had  rung  him  up,  had  expressed  dissatisfaction 
at  his  absence,  and  had  requested  a  personal  interview 
as  soon  as  possible. 

"I  should  like  to  have  it  now,  Willie,  right  this 
minute,"  he  said  disrespectfully,  as  he  gave  the  demon- 


264  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

strative  Mulligan  a  rough  fondling;  "but  I  guess  you 
will  have  to  wait  until  day  after  to-morrow.  I  am  just 
as  anxious  for  this  meeting  as  you  are;  but  I  have 
better  self-control.  I'd  give  a  six-wheeled  buggy  to 
know  just  how  to  hook  you,  Willie." 

He  laid  the  bulletin  down  on  his  desk  and  looked 
severely  at  the  bulldog,  who  continued  to  wiggle  his 
stumpy  screw  tail  expectantly.  "I  suppose  you  think 
that  in  addition  to  the  multitudinous  cares  of  my  pub- 
lic and  private  life,  I  can  still  find  time  to  take  you  for 
a  nightly  walk  ?"  he  indignantly  asked  the  dog. 

Mulligan  licked  his  lips  to  signify  that  this  was  his 
firm  conviction,  and  Dick  resumed  in  the  same  accus- 
ing voice :  "For  the  life  of  me,  I  can  not  see  where  you 
get  your  assurance  from.  You  toil  not  and  neither  do 
you  make  a  bluff  at  it,  and  yet  you  expect  your  meals 
at  the  very  minute,  which  is  nerve  enough ;  but  in  ad- 
dition you  require  personal  service  from  the  president 
of  the  Dickie  Nut-Lock  Company — which  is  the  limit 
of  all  things! 

"Remember,  now,"  he  said  as  he  picked  up  his  heavy 
stick  and  held  it  at  a  threatening  angle,  "if  you  chase 
any  cats  or  fight  any  dogs  without  my  permission,  I 
shall  write  a  copy  of  the  general  orders  across  your 
back  with  this  wand  of  my  authority.  Now,  come 
on." 

The  unassumed  sincerity  of  the  dog's  welcome  and 
his  unshakable  faith  in  him  had  fully  restored  Dick's 
poise,  and  they  set  forth  on  their  nightly  ramble  very 
jauntily. 

A  dog  has  no  place  in  the  present  social  economy, 


LEARNING   THE   LEVERS  265 

and  many  there  are  who  wonder  at  the  tenacity  with 
which  the  dog-lover  continues  to  exist,  but  this  is  the 
whole  secret :  he,  himself,  knows  he  is  a  four-flusher, 
many  others  know  it  and  use  it  to  their  personal  ad- 
vantage ;  but  his  dog  refuses  to  believe  it  unto  the  very 
end.  He  can  slip  down  the  ladder  of  life  knocking  off 
a  bit  of  cuticle  at  every  round,  but  there  at  the  bottom 
sits  his  dog,  wagging  his  tail  in  laudatory  greeting, 
and  eager  to  lick  every  sore  spot  and  make  it  well  again. 
That  is  the  whyfore  of  modern  dogs.  They  don't 
really  pay  dividends,  but  they  are  about  the  only  intelli- 
gent creatures  left  who  do  not  spend  half  their  time 
preaching.  We  don't  want  to  be  preached  at,  we  want 
to  do  the  preaching  ourselves ;  and  so  the  wisest  of  us 
keep  dogs.  Dogs  can  listen  the  vocabulary  out  of  a 
lodge  member,  and  continue  to  maintain  every  appear- 
ance of  interest.  It  is  not  asserted  that  there  is  any 
connection  between  the  two  facts ;  but  it  is  certain  that 
when  every  one  kept  dogs — real  dogs — there  were  very 
few  divorces. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

JOCKEYING   AN   EXPERT 

r  I  ^HE  next  morning  at  eleven,  Dick  called  up  Mr. 
-*-  Burton  and  told  him  that  he  could  see  him,  or  his 
representative,  on  the  following  afternoon. 

"I  want  to  arrange  this  at  once,"  replied  Mr.  Burton 
in  a  peremptory  voice. 

"I  am  sorry,  but  my  entire  afternoon  will  be  taken 
up,  and  to-morrow  from  three  to  four  will  be  all  the 
time  I  can  give  you  for  several  days." 

"Do  you  know  to  whom  you  are  speaking?" 

"I  supposed  I  was  speaking  to  the  president  of  the 
National  Steel  Mills,"  answered  Dick  angrily.  "Who 
is  this?" 

"This  is  the  president,"  replied  Burton,  "but  I 
thought  that  if  you  knew  the  importance  of  interesting 
a  concern  like  ours,  you  would — " 

"My  dear  sir,"  interrupted  Dick  condescendingly, 
"I  am  not  seeking  to  arouse  a  demand  for  the  Dickie 
nut-lock  among  the  manufacturers,  but  among  the 
actual  users,  of  bolts,  and  have  already  convinced  the 
government  of  their  positive  necessity.  Will  you 
call  to-morrow?" 

Dick  waited  a  moment  with  a  grin  on  his  face.  This 
was  certainly  fun. 

266 


JOCKEYING    AN    EXPERT  267 

"I  shall  let  you  know  later,"  said  Burton,  hanging 
up  his  receiver  with  a  bang. 

Dick  touched  his  bell.  "The  next  time  Mr.  Burton 
calls,"  he  said  to  Ivan,  "tell  him  that  I  have  been  unex- 
pectedly called  to  Washington  to  consult  with  the  secre- 
tary of  war.  Use  the  formula  for  being  frank,  and  use 
as  much  of  it  as  he  will  listen  to." 

Dick  had  arranged  a  complicated  set  of  formulas 
for  Ivan  to  use  and  much  of  their  time  was  given  to 
the  practice  of  it. 

At  three  o'clock,  Burton  called  again,  and  Dick  had 
the  satisfaction  of  hearing  over  his  own  telephone  the 
dialogue  which  took  place.  Burton  did  not  have  Ivan's 
unswerving  placidity,  and  the  contrast  was  sharp  and 
also  amusing — to  Dick. 

Dick  discovered  that  afternoon  that  the  secretary  of 
war  was  not  in  Washington,  and  it  bothered  him  con- 
siderably, but  the  next  morning  his  joy  was  excessive 
when  the  morning  paper  said  that  the  secretary  had 
been  hastily  recalled  to  the  capital ;  while  in  another  and 
less  conspicuous  column,  mention  was  made  of  Mr. 
Richard  E.  Bannington,  of  the  Dickie  Nut-Lock  Com- 
pany, having  also  been  called  to  Washington  on  urgent 
business. 

An  old  college  friend  of  Dick's  was  now  a  reporter 
on  one  of  the  leading  papers.  In  common  with  many 
other  old  college  friends,  this  chap  still  owed  Dick  a 
little  money  and  was  glad  to  become  a  modest  publicity 
bureau  in  order  to  square  accounts. 

"Talk  about  your  wizards!"  exclaimed  Dick  in  de- 
light. "I  guess  that  will  make  Willie  B.  understand 


268  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

that  he  is  not  playing  the  scrubs,  all  right,  all  right. 
Be  composed,  dear  friends,  be  composed.  As  long  as 
your  humble  servant  has  his  hand  on  the  steering 
wheel  you  will  ride  as  safely  as  though  seated  in  a 
church." 

Dick  continued  to  gloat  for  a  few  minutes  and  then 
remarked  to  Mulligan:  "That  was  what  we  term  a 
coup,  Mully,  my  son;  but  in  the  future  we  shall  not 
consult  with  public  officials  unless  we  know  where  they 
are.  We  do  not  want  to  get  beyond  the  bounds  of 
commercial  honesty.  Now,  that  Milton  chap  is  all  to 
the  good.  I  knew  he  was  honest  when  I  lent  him  that 
money — which  suggests  a  new  idea.  A  lot  of  fellows 
owe  me  money  and  the  chances  are  that  most  of  them 
are  honest  but  do  not  suspect  that  I  am  down  among 
the  needy.  The  first  leisure  I  get,  I  shall  try  to  re- 
member who  some  of  them  are  and  give  them  an  op- 
portunity to  contribute  a  little  something  to  my 
working  capital.  I  shouldn't  be  surprised,  Mulligan, 
if  we  wouldn't  have  to  invent  something  new  in  the 
way  of  kiting  before  we  have  the  steel  people  actually 
screaming  for  mercy." 

The  telephone  bell  rang.  Ivan  answered  it  and 
soon  came  in  to  Dick,  who  had  whirled  around  to  his 
desk  and  was  examining  some  papers.  "Mr.  William 
Burton  wishes  to  know  if  you  have  returned  yet?" 
asked  Ivan  deferentially. 

"That  Burton  is  becoming  the  public  nuisance !"  ex- 
claimed Dick,  looking  up  from  his  papers.  "Tell  him 
that  I  am  expected  every  minute,  but  that  I  have  a 
large  number  of  appointments  for  to-day.  If  he  be- 


JOCKEYING   AN    EXPERT  269 

comes  profane,  hang  up  your  receiver  gently.  Don't 
answer  the  next  call  promptly,  and  when  you  do,  beg 
his  pardon  and  inform  him  that  we  are  very  much 
rushed." 

About  three  that  afternoon,  Dick  called  Mr.  Burton 
and  said  in  the  most  amiable  voice  possible,  and  as 
though  it  were  thoroughly  understood  that  an  appoint- 
ment for  a  meeting  that  afternoon  had  been  made :  "I 
am  very  sorry,  Mr.  Burton,  but  I  was  called  to  Wash- 
ington unexpectedly  yesterday  afternoon,  and  have 
been  rushed  to  death  since  my  return,  so  that  it  will  be 
impossible  for  me  to  see  you  now,  although  I  have 
tried  to  arrange  it.  Could  you  call  the  day  after  to- 
morrow, at  three-thirty?" 

"I  don't  intend  to  call  at  all,"  replied  Burton  ex- 
plosively. "The  matter  is  of  slight  importance,  but 
just  at  this  time,  I  was  interested — " 

"Oh,  well,  then,"  broke  in  Dick  in  a  relieved  voice, 
"if  that  is  the  case  we  can  arrange  things  at  some  fu- 
ture time  without  any  bother  at  all.  I  thought  that  per- 
haps your  anxiety  for  a  meeting  had  something  to  do 
with  one  of  these  government  contracts.  That's  all. 
Good-by." 

Dick  hung  up  his  receiver,  touched  his  bell,  and  held 
a  paper  in  his  hand  as  though  vexed  at  being  disturbed 
in  the  study  of  it.  "If  Mr.  Burton  calls  up  again,"  he 
said  briskly,  "use  the  delay  formula.  The  special  facts 
are,  that  I  am  conferring  with  three  men  at  present  and 
that  I  expect  to  leave  as  soon  as  this  interview  is  fin- 
ished. Hold  him  as  long  as  you  can,  but  don't  let  him 
go  until  you  put  him  on  my  wire.  That  is  all." 


270  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

Dick  gave  a  sigh  and  leaned  back  in  his  chair.  "I 
am  beginning  to  see  what  there  is  about  business  that 
gradually  absorbs  a  man.  I  have  handed  friend  Bur- 
ton a  bunch  this  time  which  will  soon  let  me  know 
whether  or  not  my  original  theory  was  the  correct  one. 
If  he  don't  call  me  up  within  twenty  minutes,  I  have 
missed  the  target.  If  he  does,  I  have  hit  the  bull's-eye 
and  I  have  a  deep-rooted  suspicion  that  if  this  is  the 
case—" 

The  telephone  bell  rang  with  shrill  insistence,  and 
Dick  put  his  own  receiver  to  his  ear  and  listened 
eagerly.  As  Burton  displayed  impatience  which  rolled 
harmlessly  from  Ivan,  Dick's  joy  increased  and  by  the 
time  Ivan  was  forced  to  put  him  on  the  wire,  Dick  was 
certain  that  he  knew  Burton's  hand. 

"Who  is  this?"  he  asked  sharply. 

"This  is  Mr.  Burton,"  came  the  answer.  "I  am  tired 
of  fooling  about  this  paltry  matter  and  I  want  to  settle 
it  to-day." 

"Impossible,"  answered  Dick  blandly.  "I  regret 
exceedingly  to  disappoint  you,  but  my  time  will  be 
taken  up  until  six  o'clock.  Can't  you  make  the  ap- 
pointment for  day  after  to-morrow?" 

"What  are  you  going  to  do  this  evening?" 

"I  have  an  engagement  at  nine-thirty,"  answered 
Dick. 

"Could  you  take  dinner  with  me  and  talk  this  over 
then?" 

"Why,  I  suppose  I  could" — Dick  hesitated — "Yes, 
if  you  really  wish  it.  Where  shall  I  meet  you? 

"The  Astor  House,  six-thirty." 


JOCKEYING   AN    EXPERT  271 

"The  Astor  House?  Why,  that  is  so  out  of  the 
way,"  objected  Dick. 

"I  mean  the  Hotel  Astor,  of  course,  forty-fifth 
and—" 

"Oh,  yes,  that's  all  right ;  but  we  had  better  make  it 
seven." 

"Very  well,  then — seven  sharp.  That's  all." 

"He  has  swallowed  the  hook!"  exclaimed  Dick.  "He 
is  all  fussed  up  because  he  had  to  give  in  a  little.  He 
will  be  in  a  cold,  nasty  temper.  I  shall  have  to  watch 
him  closely.  I  wish  it  were  foot-ball,  Mulligan;  but 
I'm  going  to  play  a  crafty  game.  I  am  so.  Now  he 
has  to  sign  my  contract,  and  I  have  to  make  him  think 
that  I  am  a  good-natured  young  man,  ambitious  to  suc- 
ceed, guileless  as  a  dove,  and  rather  easy-going.  You 
have  no  idea  how  this  is  running  along  my  nerves.  I 
always  used  to  feel  like  this  before  a  game,  you  re- 
member, but  I  never  showed  it — and  I  won't  show  it 
this  time." 

Dick  rose  and  took  a  turn  about  the  room.  "I've 
got  to  have  a  lawyer  on  that  contract  and  here  it  is 
after  four.  The  old  ones  will  charge  too  much  and 
be  too  careless.  The  young  ones  will  all  be  gone  home 
or  else  they'll  be  the  drudgey  kind  without  imagina- 
tion. I  have  to  have  a  corking  contract  and  it  has  to 
be  drawn  up  by  a  lawyer  I  can  trust  and  who  will  trust 
me.  Surely  there  must  be  a  lawyer  in  this  little  village 
who  is  under  obligations  of  some  kind  to  me.  Wait, 
wait;  I'm  getting  warm!  That  thin  fellow  with  the 
ruddy  hair  that  I  met  at  the  mission  on  Avenue  C 
He's  the  boy — Terrence  Mulchaey.  He  claims  to  be 


272  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

Irish,  the  Irish  claim  to  be  witty.  Now,  where  can  I 
find  him  ?  He  gave  me  a  card,  I  put  it  into  my  pocket, 
and  I  gave  that  suit  to  a  tramp  printer."  Dick  flew  to 
the  door.  "Emil,  do  you  remember  the  printer  who 
came  here  from  Seattle  to  get  a  job?" 

Emil  raised  his  eyes  from  The  Modern  Trend  of 
Pragmaticism,  squinted  them  a  time  or  two,  and  re- 
plied: "I  do." 

"Then  go  to  him  as  fast  as  you  can,  get  the  card  he 
found  in  the  upper  left-hand  vest  pocket  of  the  gray 
suit  I  gave  him — J.  T.  Mulchaey — telephone  the  ad- 
dress to  me  on  the  instant.  Hurry !" 

Emil's  mouth  opened  to  ask  a  question,  but  Dick  had 
already  rushed  into  his  own  office.  Ivan's  eyes  held  the 
light  of  suppressed  excitement,  it  was  plain  that  his 
sensitive  nature  was  responding  to  Dick's  nervous 
eagerness ;  but  Emil  had  been  engrossed  in  an  intensely 
interesting  passage,  and  was  impatient  at  being  dis- 
turbed. "What  nonsense!"  he  muttered  as  he  picked 
up  his  hat. 

"Hurry !"  cried  Ivan. 

"This  is  no  kind  of  work  for  a  man,"  growled  Emil 
as  he  slammed  the  door. 

Dick  had  hurried  into  his  private  office  and  pulled 
out  a  type-written  paper  which  had  been  corrected  and 
re-corrected  until  it  presented  a  badly  abused  appear- 
ance. He  ran  his  hand  through  his  hair  after  having 
read  it  again,  and  said :  "This  is  exactly  what  I  want  to 
get  into  the  contract;  this  covers  everything,  and  if 
Terry  can  just  put  it  into  legal  form,  I  shall  take  great 
pleasure  in  making  William  Steel  Mills  Burton  admit 


JOCKEYING   AN    EXPERT  273 

that  the  way  of  the  transgressor  is  hard.  I  hope  Emil 
does  not  have  to  pass  a  book  stand." 

He  turned  and  twisted  in  his  chair,  he  walked  to  the 
window,  he  became  so  restless  that  Mulligan  was  finally 
disturbed  and  rose  with  a  yawn  to  see  if  what  was 
evidently  a  human  crisis  offered  any  opportunities  to 
a  rather  bored  canine. 

"Mulligan,"  said  Dick,  seating  himself  and  taking 
the  dog's  head  on  his  knee,  "we  often  speculate  on  hell. 
Suspense,  that  is  what  hell  is.  An  eternity  of  suspense, 
an  endless  waiting  in  the  dark,  a  thousand  torturing 
questions,  and  no  answer.  That  is  hell — and  I  wish  to 
goodness  that  Emil  would  hurry." 

At  the  first  tinkle  of  the  bell,  Dick  put  the  receiver 
to  his  ear,  and  when  he  heard  Emil's  voice,  he  cut  in 
without  waiting  for  Ivan.  Mulchaey  was  with  a  large 
firm  with  offices  at  Chambers  and  Broadway,  and  Dick 
immediately  had  Ivan  call  him.  When  Ivan  announced 
that  Mr.  Mulchaey  was  on  the  wire,  Dick  gave  a  sigh 
of  relief,  and  soon  had  things  settled.  Mulchaey 
agreed  to  be  at  his  desk  at  nine- forty  and  to  work  all 
night  if  necessary,  and  to  make  no  mention  of  the 
matter  to  his  firm. 

It  was  now  six  o'clock,  Ivan  was  beginning  supper, 
and  Dick,  having  run  the  full  circle,  now  found  himself 
perfectly  cool  and  looking  forward  with  pleasure  to 
his  coming  meeting  with  Mr.  Burton. 

"I  wonder  whether  I'd  better  make  this  engagement 
at  nine-thirty  a  business  or  a  social  one,"  he  mused. 
In  entering  business,  Dick  had  decided  that  it  was 
war,  and  therefore  entitled  to  no  ethical  considerations. 


274  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

This  candid  attitude  at  the  very  start  prevented  his  con- 
science from  interfering  with  expediency,  and  left  him 
free  to  plan  his  campaigns  unhampered.  He  finally 
decided  that  he  looked  better  in  evening  clothes  and 
so  chose  a  social  engagement. 

"I  suppose  the  old  cuss  is  a  cold-blooded  amphibian," 
he  remarked  genially  to  Mulligan,  as  he  adjusted  his 
tie,  "but  even  at  that  I  shan't  keep  him  waiting  but 
twenty  minutes  or  so." 

In  evening  clothes,  Dick  did  not  look  like  a  member 
in  good  standing  of  the  proletariat,  but  in  spite  of  this, 
he  felt  a  kindly  approval  of  his  reflection  as  he  sur- 
veyed himself  in  the  glass.  "I  trust  the  time  will 
come  when  I  won't  have  to  keep  my  raiment  in  a  fire- 
proof safe  and  an  office  desk;  but  you  don't  look  like 
a  hall-roomer,  Dickie  boy,  not  yet.  And  now,  friend 
Burton,  I  shall  seek  to  do  ample  justice  to  thy  fair 
repast.  Mulligan,  I  regret  exceedingly  that  I  can  not 
take  you  with  me,  but  owing  to  the  present  financial 
depression,  the  Dickie  Nut-Lock  Company  is  unable 
to  afford  a  human  watchman,  and  the  rest  of  it  is  that 
I'll  take  you  a  nice  long  walk  when  I  return.  ''Au  re- 
voir." 

"Now,  boys, "said  the  debonair  Dick,  as  he  paused 
at  the  table  where  Emil  and  Ivan  were  enjoying  their 
frugal  repast,  adding  the  sauce  of  philosophical  dis- 
course to  the  more  material  viands,  "I  want  you  to 
remember  that  in  spite  of  appearances,  I  am  making  the 
economic  fight  of  the  age  against  the  steel  pirates.  It 
is  probable  that  in  the  future  we  shall  be  watched  by 
detectives;  therefore,  be  ye  wise  as  serpents  and  in- 


JOCKEYING   AN    EXPERT  275 

nocent  as  doves.  See  if  you  can  locate  any  socialists 
who  belong  to  the  office  forces  of  either  William  Bur- 
ton or  my  uncle,  and  extract  as  much  information  as 
possible.  Good  night." 

Upon  arriving  at  the  Astor,  Dick  was  immediately 
conducted  to  a  private  dining-room,  where  he  found  a 
man  with  piercing  eyes  waiting  for  him.  The  man  was 
of  medium  height,  masterful  hands,  self-contained  ex- 
pression, and  lips  which  appeared  to  be  the  trusty 
guardians  of  a  strictly  private  entrance. 

"You  are  late,"  said  Mr.  Burton,  as  soon  as  they  had 
exchanged  names  and  shaken  hands. 

"I  beg  your  pardon,"  said  Dick  easily,  "but  you  can 
readily  understand  the  difficulties  of  starting  a  new 
business  on  small  capital.  I  began  in  my  own  way, 
creating  a  demand  for  my  services  and  product  before 
opening  offices.  Now  I  find  my  organization  inade- 
quate to  handle  the  office  business,  while  actual  orders 
come  in  too  slow  to  keep  my  plant  running." 

"You  are  younger  than  I  supposed,"  said  Burton. 

"People  have  been  telling  me  that  for  years," 
laughed  Dick. 

"Well,  let's  get  started,"  said  Burton. 

They  seated  themselves,  and  it  was  evident  that  Mr. 
Burton  understood  the  arrangements  for  a  conference 
at  which  food  was  to  be  incidental.  He  tried  to  make' 
it  entirely  incidental.  Each  course  was  cleared  away 
and  the  next  brought  in  promptly,  and  then  the  waiters 
retired  until  summoned. 

Dick,  however,  was  instantly  able  to  perceive  that 
there  was  an  art  surpassing  Ivan's  in  the  preparation 


276  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

of  these  courses,  and  as  he  was  honestly  hungry,  he 
commended  them  cordially.  In  fact,  he  played  cordi- 
ality as  his  longest  and  strongest  suit,  answered  all 
questions  frankly,  but  never  seemed  anxious  about  the 
sales  of  his  nut-lock.  He  seemed  to  look  on  its  future 
as  assured,  and  confided  to  Mr.  Burton,  with  pleasing 
naivete,  his  intention  to  make  his  income  as  a  mechani- 
cal engineer  pay  the  expenses  of  establishing  the  nut- 
lock  business.  He  unfolded  so  many  plans,  intimated  so 
much  already  done  in  the  creating  of  a  demand,  and  ap- 
peared so  youthful,  hopeful,  cheerful,  and  unsophisti- 
cated, that  Mr.  Burton  was  gradually  disarmed. 

Dick  avoided  final  decisions  as  much  as  possible, 
but  managed  to  give  the  impression  that  he  was  eager 
to  land  the  National  Steel  Mills,  if  it  would  not  with- 
draw him  from  the  general  field.  He  seemed  to  desire 
the  control  of  his  invention  more  than  anything  else, 
and  Mr.  Burton  was  very  well  satisfied  with  the  result 
of  their  interview. 

At  last  Dick  looked  at  his  watch  and  rose  to  his 
feet,  saying:  "Well,  I  have  to  be  going.  I'm  afraid 
I'll  be  late  as  it  is." 

"But  we  haven't  settled  definitely  as  to  our  terms," 
protested  Mr.  Burton  good-humoredly. 

"Why,  I  thought  we  had,"  replied  Dick  in  surprise. 

"Oh,  we  have  arrived  at  a  mutually  agreeable  under- 
standing; but  in  business,  you  know,  especially  my  kind 
of  business,  a  contract  is  regarded  as  the  only  thing 
binding.  Shall  I  have  contracts  prepared  ?" 

"Oh,  you  need  not  go  to  the  bother,"  said  Dick.  "I'll 
slap  one  together  to-morrow,  and  bring  it  to  your  office 


JOCKEYING   AN    EXPERT  277 

about  four-thirty.  Now,  I  must  hurry.  I  am  very 
glad  to  have  met  you,  Mr.  Burton,  and  have  enjoyed 
your  dinner  thoroughly.  Good  night." 

"Seems  like  a  bright  young  fellow ;  but  too  careless, 
too  careless,"  thought  Mr.  Burton,  as  he  also  prepared 
to  leave. 

"Rather  a  decent  old  crustacean,"  thought  Dick  com- 
placently, "but  he  wears  too  heavy  armor.  It  hampers 
him ;  might  do  all  right  in  a  heavy  fight,  but  in  fencing 
it  makes  him  too  slow.  Well,  I  think  I  have  his  future 
in  my  pocket ;  but  first,  we'll  see  how  the  attorney  ex- 
traordinary for  the  Dickie  Nut-Lock  Company  decides 
on  the  possibilities  of  my  contract." 

He  found  Mulchaey  in  and  eager.  "I  am  only  doing 
assignments  on  a  commission  here,  and  have  a  right 
to  handle  as  much  business  of  my  own  on  the  side  as 
I  can,"  he  explained. 

"You  make  a  pleasant  noise  to  me,"  said  Dick. 
"Now,  I  want  this  kept  secret,  and,  to  make  it  easier 
for  you,  I  am  going  to  pretend  that  it  is  merely  a 
supposititious  case.  I  want  you  to  draw  up  a  contract 
that  would  hold  the  imps  of  darkness,  be  written  in 
simple  language,  and  contain  the  stipulations  found 
in  this  crude  outline.  Furthermore,  this  contract 
must  be  in  my  office  by  to-morrow  noon." 

Mulchaey  was  a  young  man,  but  he  had  an  old  face. 
His  face  did  not  light  up,  it  clouded  over.  He  adjusted 
his  glasses  and  read  Dick's  draft.  Then  he  re-read 
it,  his  brows  drawn  together.  He  folded  it  carefully 
and  held  it  in  his  hand,  looking  at  it  a  few  moments. 
Then  he  opened  it  and  read  it  again. 


2;3  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

"I  can  do  it,"  he  said  calmly,  "but  there  are  a  lot  of 
things  left  out  that  would  make  it  stronger — " 

"You  leave  them  out  of  yours,  too,"  said  Dick. 

"Yes,  but  they  are  necessary  for  definiteness." 

"You  don't  say!"  exclaimed  Dick  smiling.  "Well, 
you  understand  that  this  outline  contains  exactly  what 
I  want  and  if  you  knock  together  a  contract  that  will 
stick,  it  means  that  you  have  done  the  best  day's  work 
of  your  life,  and  you  have  a  nice,  long  night  to  do  it 
in." 

"All  right,  I'll  make  it  stick,  but  I  warn  you  in  ad- 
vance that  the  other  party  will  not  accept  it." 

"The  other  party  thinks  that  I  am  weak-minded  and 
that  I  am  drawing  up  the  contract  without  legal  advice 
— and  what  is  more  important,  the  other  party  is  in  a 
sweat  to  get  action.  Perhaps  you  have  not  heard  of  the 
panic,  but  we  are  in  the  midst  of  one,  and  whenever  I 
find  a  panic  out  alone  this  way,  I  capture  it  and  make  it 
work  for  me.  I  won't  bother  you  any  longer  as  I 
have  another  important  matter  to  attend  to.  So  long." 

The  other  important  matter  was  Mulligan's  consti- 
tutional, and  Dick  attended  to  it  without  delay  and  to 
the  complete  satisfaction  of  himself  and  the  redoubt- 
able Mulligan,  who  had  the  pleasure  of  being  insulted 
by  a  dog  larger  than  himself  and  of  being  permitted 
to  demonstrate  his  ability  to  achieve  satisfaction — 
although  not  to  the  extent  that,  in  his  judgment,  the 
case  demanded. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

STOPPED   ON   A   COUNTRY   ROAD 

"  I  ^HE  contract  arrived  before  noon  the  next  day, 
•*•  and  after  studying  it  for  an  hour,  Dick  decided 
that  the  only  thing  it  lacked  was  signatures,  and  had 
Emil  make  two  copies  of  it  on  his  own  stationery. 
Promptly  at  four-thirty  he  took  them  around  to  Mr. 
Burton  and  that  gentleman  read  it  carefully,  touched 
his  bell  to  have  it  sent  to  the  legal  department,  looked 
into  Dick's  smiling  face,  and  instead  of  having  it  re- 
ported, he  signed  and  sealed  it  with  the  corporation 
stamp  of  the  National  Steel  Mills. 

"You  will  start  your  plant  full  force  at  once,  will 
you?"  he  asked. 

"To-morrow,"  replied  Dick  promptly.  "All  my  men 
have  had  experience,  and  as  the  contract  says,  I  shall 
run  a  day  and  a  night  shift." 

"All  right,"  said  Mr.  Burton.  "And  now  to  en- 
courage you,  I'll  tell  you  that  this  is  a  hurry-up  job 
on  the  Panama  Canal.  It  has  to  be  delivered  by 
October  fifteenth,  and  if  you  will  continue  to  supply 
these  nut-locks  at  the  present  price  to  ourselves,  and 
four  times  this  price  to  all  others,  I  think  I  can  guar- 
antee to  take  your  entire  output." 

"That  is  mighty  kind  of  you,"  said  Dick  heartily, 
"and  now  I'll  not  bother  you  any  longer." 

279 


280  THE   STEERING    WHEEL 

After  Dick  left,  Mr.  Burton  re-read  the  contract. 
"A  queer  article,"  he  thought,  "but  it's  typical  of  the 
boy,  himself.  After  he  goes  to  the  wall,  I  think  I'll 
offer  him  an  opening,  myself.  He  has  the  right  stuff, 
but  lacks  training.  I  wonder  what  turned  him  against 
his  uncle?  I  guess  the  old  man  froze  him  out  all 
right." 

Dick's  face  was  rather  grim  after  leaving  Burton's 
office,  and  his  fists  were  tightly  clenched.  "This  is  no 
longer  a  joke,"  he  was  thinking.  "Unless  I'm  a  fool,  I 
have  this  situation  on  its  own  goal  line — and  it's  my 
ball.  Burton  is  in  shallow  water  himself,  or  he  would 
not  be  so  anxious  about  so  small  a  contract,  figured 
down  to  the  roots,  too.  Now,  there's  a  man  with  a  na- 
tional reputation  for  astuteness,  and  yet  he  hasn't  good 
common  sense.  His  own  office  boy  ought  to  see  that 
there  is  mighty  little  profit  in  making  nut-locks  at  the 
price  I  named  him — an  article  which  is  sure  to  be  in 
universal  demand — and  yet  he  meekly  offers  to  take 
my  entire  output  at  the  same  figure.  Well,  who's 
next?" 

Dick  was  in  a  thoughtful  mood,  which  continued 
after  reaching  his  office,  where  Ivan  was  beginning  his 
preparations  for  supper.  He  put  the  contract  into  his 
private  safe,  along  with  a  jumbled  assortment  of  cloth- 
ing, and  sat  studying  the  situation  until  Ivan  called  him 
to  supper. 

During  the  meal  Dick  was  silent.  Now  that  he  had 
accomplished  the  first  step  in  his  plan,  the  immensity  of 
his  task  took  on  a  more  distinct  outline ;  and  he  doubted 
his  ability  to  carry  it  through.  But  from  thinking  o£ 


STOPPED    ON    A    COUNTRY   ROAD  281 

the  father,  he  very  naturally  recalled  the  daughter,  and, 
hastily  finishing  his  meal,  he  crossed  the  town  and  took 
a  ferry  on  his  way  to  Minster. 

He  would  have  liked  to  have  a  talk  with  his  uncle, 
and  took  a  turn  about  the  boat ;  but  without  meeting 
any  one  he  knew.  All  the  way  to  Minster,  his  face  was 
grave ;  but  when  he  started  up  the  back  road,  business 
was  thrown  aside,  and  the  rosy  flag  of  romance  was 
run  up. 

He  found  the  note  in  the  oak  tree  and  walked  on  to 
his  accustomed  clump  of  bushes  before  reading  it.  By 
a  young  moon  he  was  able  to  see  that  still  another  line 
had  been  added,  and  turned  on  his  flash  eagerly. 

The  line  was :  "I  always  did  despise  your  judgment 
on  dogs,  you  know." 

Dick  turned  off  the  current  and  pondered.  This  had 
gone  far  enough,  and  he  refused  to  continue  firing  off 
blank  epigrams ;  but,  after  giving  free  rein  to  his  out- 
raged pride,  he  was  forced  to  admit  that  he  was  ex- 
tremely anxious  to  know  the  exact  state  of  Kate's 
mind.  It  was  ages  since  he  had  seen  her,  and  dark 
ages,  at  that. 

He  could  hardly  bring  himself  to  ask  for  a  cessation 
of  hostilities,  for  the  very  good  reason  that  it  was  him- 
self who  had  commenced  them.  With  a  sigh  denoting 
undeserved  ill-treatment,  Dick  rose  in  time  to  draw  a 
low,  sharp  bark  from  the  opposite  side  of  the  road. 

The  next  moment  a  voice  said:  "Hush,  Bayard," 
and  the  next  found  Dick  crossing  the  road  to  the  side 
of  the  girl. 

"How  you  frightened  me!"  she  said. 


282  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

"I  am  truly  sorry,"  said  Dick  a  little  stiffly. 

"What  were  you  doing,"  she  asked,  "studying  some 
new  bit  of  stupid  impertinence  ?" 

Dicked  wished  that  she  was  again  in  need  of  a 
knightly  rescuer.  She  always  seemed  at  such  an  ad- 
vantage in  the  piping  times  of  peace ;  while  he  flattered 
himself  that  she  had  rather  relied  on  him  on  that  one 
night  of  action. 

"No,"  he  answered  portentiously,  "I  had  just  de- 
cided that  I  would  no  longer  engage  in  such  nonsense." 

" — quoth  the  very  old  philosopher  to  the  giddy  young 
thing,"  added  the  girl  mockingly.  "I  don't  think  that 
living  in  New  York  has  improved  you.  When  you  were 
a  foolish  boy  I  found  you  rather  amusing ;  but  now  that 
premature  old  age  has  set  her  seal — " 

"I  want  to  have  a  serious  talk  with  you,"  interrupted 
Dick,  apparently  determined  to  put  himself  in  the  worst 
light  possible. 

"If  we  all  had  the  same  wants  it  would  result  in  a 
depressing  stagnation,"  chanted  the  girl.  "Do  you  sup- 
pose that  I  came  out  in  this  glorious  moonlight  to  be 
bored?" 

They  had  reached  an  open  space,  and  the  girl  turned 
so  that  the  setting  crescent  shone  on  her  face.  Dick 
looked  at  the  face,  and  there  were  certain  faint  lines 
which  did  not  correspond  to  the  lightness  of  her  voice. 

"You  have  missed  me !"  he  cried  in  frank  surprise. 

"Rather  often,  I  should  judge,  from  the  notes,"  re- 
plied the  girl,  trying  to  turn  it  off. 

"But  why  did  you  write  such  a  mean  note,  after  such 
a  bully  one  ?"  asked  the  persistent  Richard. 


STOPPED   ON   A    COUNTRY   ROAD  283 

No  comment  was  made,  but  strangely  enough  in  the 
excitement  of  their  unexpected  meeting,  they  had 
turned  about  and  were  walking  away  from  the  Burton 
gateway. 

"For  pity's  sake,  don't  catechize !"  exclaimed  Kate. 
"Why  do  men  insist  on  asking  the  most  impossible 
questions,  when  a  modicum  of  analysis  would  give  the 
correct  answer?" 

"Not  this  time,"  protested  Dick.  "If  I  were  to  ana- 
lyze my  head  into  a  shredded  biscuit  it  would  not  ex- 
plain the  inconsistency  between  the  two  notes." 

"Oh,  can't  you  see  how  it  was?" 

"Perfectly  unreasonable  any  way  you  look  at  it,"  in- 
sisted Dick.  "One  note,  either  one,  might  have  been 
sincere.  Both  could  not  be,  and  I  had  done  nothing  in 
the  meantime  to  cause  any  change  in  your  feelings." 

"Yes,  you  had — you  had  read  the  first  note." 

"But  you  had  written  it  to  me,  and  had  put  it  where 
you  knew  I  should  get  it." 

"No,  I  feared — that  is,  I  was  sure  that  you  would 
not  look  there  any  more.  You  had  not  looked  for  a 
long  time,  you  know.  I  hardly  know  why  I  did  write 
it;  I  enjoyed  our  boy  and  girl  make-believe,  and  when 
you  went  away  I  missed  it;  and,  just  as  we  pretend  to 
care  for  people  in  books,  I  pretended  to  care  very  much 
for  the  one  who  had  gone  away  and  left  me.  It  wasn't 
really  you :  it  was  just  a  vague  sort  of  ideal  who  looked 
something  like  you." 

"And  then  the  second  note  was  addressed  to  the  real 
me,  and  represented  your  real  state  of  mind  ?" 

"Well,  not  exactly  that,  either.   You  see,  I  was  pro- 


284  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

voked  that  you  had  read  something  that  was  scarcely 
intended  for  you,  and — " 

"And  you  didn't  really  want  to  see  me  again  ?" 

"It  seems  perfectly  plain  to  me.  I  did  want  to  see 
you,  but  I  did  not  want  you  to  see  the  note — and  yet  if 
you  were  never  coming  back  at  all  I  should  have  want- 
ed you  to  see  the  note;  but  it  was  entirely  different 
when  you  took  it  for  granted  that  I  should  have  writ- 
ten that  kind  of  note  if  I  had  known  that  you  would 
read  it.  Don't  you  see  ?" 

"Oh,  let  it  go,"  said  Dick.  "I  always  was  stupid; 
let's  begin  again  now —  But  what  was  Lorrain  doing 
here?" 

"If  you  were  truly  respectable,  you  would  be  heartily 
ashamed  of  yourself  for  speaking  of  him  as  you  did. 
He  is  one  of  your  friends,  too." 

"He  is  a  thoughtful  friend  of  himself,  but  of  no  one 
else.  Where  on  earth  did  you  meet  him  ?" 

"You  don't  have  to  pretend  to  be  a  boy;  you  are 
one,"  said  Kate.  "But  he  is  not  a  friend  of  mine,  so 
you  might  have  done  worse.  Father  met  him  in  connec- 
tion with  business,  and  he  came  out  here  to  see  father, 
and  I  met  him  incidentally.  This  was  the  very  night 
after  you  left.  He  always  speaks  kindly  of  you — " 

"Kindly— humph !"  broke  in  Dick. 

"Yes,  he  says  that  you  are  good-natured  and  warm- 
hearted and  well-meaning;  but  that  you  are  so  im- 
pulsive that  your  uncle  could  no  longer  put  up  with  it." 

"Cad!"  said  Dick  explosively.  "And  this  is  your 
new  friend?" 

"It  is  just  lots  of  fun  to  tease  you;  no  wonder  I 


STOPPED   ON   A   COUNTRY   ROAD  285 

miss  you.  Still,  to  be  perfectly  frank,  he  is  not  my 
friend.  He  merely  overtook  me  the  night  you  saw  us 
together,  and  I  have  not  seen  him  since.  Father  does 
not  like  him  either." 

"I  am  glad  you  added  that  'either.'  Does  your  fa- 
ther's estimate  of  a  young  man  outweigh  your  own?" 
Dick  was  wondering  if  he  had  not  better  let  the  Na- 
tional Steel  Mills  off  with  nothing  worse  than  a  good 
shaking. 

"They  have  never  clashed  yet,"  answered  Kate  with 
circumspection.  "But  I  must  turn  back  now.  Auntie 
and  I  are  on  the  best  of  terms,  and  it  is  best  to  con- 
tinue thus." 

"How  often  may  I  come  and  see  you?"  asked  Dick, 
after  they  had  started  to  return. 

"I  suppose  I  had  better  consult  with  father." 

This  remark  producing  no  reply,  she  added :  "We 
couldn't  possibly  resume  the  boy  and  girl  attitude,  you 
know." 

"I  don't  want  to,"  said  Dick  decisively. 

"Do  you  mean  to  come  right  to  the  door  and  call 
on  me?"  asked  Kate  stopping  to  look  at  him.  They 
looked  into  each  other's  eyes  and  then  broke  into  merry 
laughter. 

"I  am  not  the  only  child  in  this  group,"  said  Dick ; 
"but  honestly,  I  hate  to  flutter  down  to  every-day,  com- 
monplace conventionality.  I  guess  I  must  be  part 

Gipsy." 

"I'm  afraid  I'm  a  good  deal  that  way  myself,"  ad- 
mitted Kate;  "but  surely  the  adventure  of  the  bear 
den  should  have  cured  us  both." 


286  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

"Oh,  but  that  was  a  complication,  the  like  of  which 
could  never  again  occur.  It  was  terrible  while  it  lasted ; 
but  now  that  it  is  all  over,  won't  you  own  up  that  it  was 
more  fun  than  any  stately  affair  you  have  ever  par- 
ticipated in  ?" 

"It  really  is  funny  to  look  back  to;  but  I  wouldn't 
go  through  with  it  again  for  worlds." 

They  were  very  close  to  the  gate  now.  The  moon 
was  just  visible,  and  they  paused  once  more  and  looked 
into  each  other's  eyes,  dim  and  soft  and  misty  in  the 
thin  light. 

"But  it  never  could  happen  again,"  said  Dick  assur- 
ingly. 

"But  something  else  might." 

"Nonsense,"  scoffed  Dick. 

"Kate,  is  that  you?"  asked  a  low,  firm  voice. 

They  stood  in  startled  surprise,  and  so  lightly  does 
civilization  rest  on  us  that  their  first  impulse  was  to 
run ;  but  Dick,  being  more  the  practised  outlaw,  was  the 
first  to  recover. 

"Answer,"  he  whispered,  nudging  her. 

"Yes,  Auntie,"  she  answered,  in  a  voice  so  composed 
that  it  was  unnaturally  formal. 

"Who  is  that  with  you?" 

Again  there  was  silence.  Dick  belonged  to  that 
cheerful  band  of  free-booters  who  bluff  persistently 
and  hopefully,  until  they  get  caught  at  it ;  and  then  cut 
everything  behind  them  and  stake  all  on  making  their 
bluff  a  reality.  As  it  is  a  resourceful  crew,  it  requires 
ready  tact  if  it  is  to  be  properly  controlled. 

"Tell  her,"  he  whispered  commandingly. 


rl 


Their  first  impulse  was  to  run 


STOPPED   ON   A    COUNTRY   ROAD  287 

"It  is  Mr.  Bannington,"  replied  Kate  with  sinking 
heart  and  voice. 

"What?"  exclaimed  Miss  Burton,  trying  to  see  him 
in  the  gloom,  for  the  moon  being  young  had  been 
forced  to  retire  early. 

The  reaction  had  set  in  with  rollicking  force.  Dick 
walked  up  to  the  gate,  turned  on  his  flash  and  held  it 
with  the  bright  disk  shining  on  his  face.  "Don't  you 
remember  me  ?"  he  effused  pleasantly,  as  though  sight 
of  his  face  were  sure  to  recall  happy  experiences. 

Miss  Burton  was  astonished;  the  face  which  stood 
out  so  clearly  before  her  was  that  of  the  inspector  of 
Bannington  Park  to  whom  she  had  once  given  a  tip.  It 
was  a  frank,  boyish  face,  and  the  eyes  were  dancing 
merrily.  There  was  something  about  the  face,  glowing 
with  the  eternal  youth  of  to-day,  and  yesterday,  and 
long,  long  ago,  which  sent  strange,  warm  rays  through 
the  crust  of  years  which  shielded  her,  lighting  the  in- 
most recess  of  her  heart  and  showing  the  little  trinkets 
of  girlish  sentiment,  which,  all  unknown  to  herself, 
were  still  kept  and  guarded  as  the  great  treasures  of 
her  life. 

The  merry  eyes,  gentle  and  fearless,  looked  into  hers 
with  good-humored  challenge,  the  smiling  lips  seemed 
ready  to  frame  an  answer  in  kind  to  any  question  she 
might  ask,  to  controvert  any  statement  she  might  make. 
So  taken  by  surprise  was  she,  and  so  curiously  affected, 
that  she  found  difficulty  in  recovering  her  self-posses- 
sion, usually  so  reliable. 

"Certainly,"  she  answered  with  reserve,  which  she 
instinctively  felt  he  would  regard  as  affectation;  and 


2S8  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

then  she  turned  to  the  girl.  "Katherine" — her  voice 
had  the  true  ring  now — "I  think  it  time  for  you  to 
come  in." 

"Does  that  include  me?"  asked  Dick  brazenly. 

"It  was  not  intended  to,"  answered  Miss  Burton,  en- 
joying the  touch  of  her  returned  dignity. 

"Then  I  wish  to  offer  an  amendment." 

"You  told  me  that  you  were  the  inspector  of  Ban- 
nington  Park,"  said  Miss  Burton  accusingly. 

"This  is  always  the  way  the  world  uses  me.  I  tried 
to  save  you  embarrassment,  and  you  class  it  in  as  ordi- 
nary subterfuge.  I  am  Dick  Bannington,  nephew  of 
Richard,  and  an  outcast  on  the  face  of  the  whole  earth. 
Let  me  come  in  and  we'll  talk  it  all  over  and  decide  on 
what's  to  be  done." 

"I  think  it  would  be  more  agreeable  to  talk  it  over 
privately,"  said  Miss  Burton. 

"More  agreeable,  certainly,"  acquiesced  Dick  with 
ponderous  gravity;  "but  are  we  justified  in  permitting 
agreeableness  to  be  the  determining  point  in  the  selec- 
tion of  our  duties?  No,  no  indeed." 

Miss  Burton  was  really  very  perturbed  at  Kate's 
peculiar  conduct,  and,  as  the  poise  which  requires  years 
to  produce  is  not  to  be  overturned  utterly  by  the  sight 
of  a  boy's  face  smiling  out  at  one  from  a  circle  of 
white  light,  she  again  felt  an  unlimited  capacity  for  the 
giving  of  final  decisions  from  which  there  was  expected 
to  be  no  appeal. 

Although  it  was  too  dark  to  have  been  detected,  she 
did  not  even  smile.  It  was  a  firm  conviction  with  her 
that  levity  out  of  place  was  entitled  to  absolutely  no 


STOPPED   ON   A    COUNTRY   ROAD  289 

consideration.  "I  think,  Mr.  Bannington,  that  the 
proper  course  would  be  for  you  to  withdraw  for  the 
present,"  she  said  rather  distantly.  "If  the  acquaint- 
ance is  to  be  resumed  it  must  be  on  a  more  formal 
basis." 

"Yes,  but  I  don't  like  that  way,"  said  Dick  with  sin- 
cere seriousness  this  time.  Now  it  was  perfectly  dark, 
and  a  faint  smile  was  allowed  to  curl  Miss  Burton's 
lips  at  this  speech :  it  was  so  boyishly  boyish.  "Kath- 
erine — as  you  are  also  Miss  Burton,  this  is  the  simplest 
way  to  distinguish  you — " 

"You  could  say  Miss  Katherine,  and  even  the  use  of 
Miss  Burton  would  not  be  likely  to  lead  to  complica- 
tions," suggested  Miss  Burton  with  genteel  satire. 

"That's  so,  too,"  admitted  Dick.  "Well,  Miss  Kath- 
erine knows  plenty  of  reasons  why  our  informal  ac- 
quaintance just  at  this  time  was  more  agreeable  than 
a  strictly  conventional  acquaintance  would  have  been. 
I  am  just  starting  into  business  for  myself  and  in  a 
sense  it  is  competition  with  her  father  and  my  uncle 
who  do  not  evince  that  genial  cordiality  which  is  a  dis- 
tinctive by-product  of  the  true  neighborly  spirit.  So 
you  see  how  it  is  yourself." 

Dick  had  talked  himself  into  feeling  perfectly  at 
home  with  Miss  Burton,  and  saw  no  reason  why  she 
should  not  have  made  similar  advancement;  but  she 
did  not  lightly  change  her  attitude  toward  a  subject, 
and  said  without  a  flaw  in  her  reserve:  "Of  course,  if 
you  feel  that  an  open  acquaintance  might  lead  to  em- 
barrassment, the  only  thing  to  do  is  to  postpone  the  es- 
tablishment of  any  acquaintance  until  this  condition 


290  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

no  longer  exists.  I  must  request  that  you  will  be  good 
enough  to  avoid  meeting  Miss  Burton  until  you  are 
willing  to  call  at  her  home  in  accordance  with  the  rules 
of  propriety." 

"Well,  that  suits  me,  all  right,"  responded  Dick. 
"May  I  call  to-morrow  night?" 

"I  think  that  at  least  a  week  should  elapse  before 
you  call  again,  and  in  the  meantime,  you  had  better 
consider  carefully  whether  or  not  the  call  would  be 
pleasant  for  any  of  us.  Good  evening." 

"Good  evening,"  said  Dick,  taking  off  his  hat,  and 
wishing  that  it  were  Miss  Burton's  head.  Kate  and 
her  aunt  walked  up  the  path  to  the  house,  and  Dick 
walked  very  slowly  along  the  back  road  toward  Min- 
ster. 

"She's  as  generous  as  a  spider!"  he  exclaimed  after 
having  walked  a  short  distance.  "She  impresses  me  as 
having  been  preserved  in  alcohol  since  the  Middle 
Ages,  so  that  even  a  hasty  comparison  will  convince  the 
skeptical  that  the  world  is  surely  getting  better.  She 
evidently  imagines  that  it  is  as  necessary  to  guard  and 
protect  an  American  girl  of  to-day,  as  it  was  to  hover 
about  one  of  those  animated  dolls  of  the  Romantic 
Age.  I  wish  auntie  had  taken  her  vacation,  beginning 
this  afternoon.  I  can  see  where  she  is  going  to  be  a 
disturbing  element." 

It  was  a  fine,  brisk  night ;  all  the  world  seemed  filled 
with  motion  and  little  waves  of  energy  kept  entering 
Dick's  body  until  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  be  down- 
cast. He  stepped  out  with  a  full,  easy  stride  and  his 
next  remark  clearly  indicated  that  an  earthly  existence 


STOPPED   ON    A    COUNTRY   ROAD  291 

was  again  beginning  to  find  favor  in  his  sight.     "I 
wish  old  Mulligan  was  along,"  he  said. 

As  the  first  street  lamp  in  Minster,  by  this  time  a 
familiar  friend,  rounded  the  curve,  Dick  paused, 
looked  up  at  the  stars  and  back  at  the  misty  road. 
"Where  every  prospect  pleases,  and  only  aunts  are 
vile,"  he  said  fervently,  and  pleased  with  his  state  of 
mind,  he  whistled  an  inspiring  march  until  the  approach 
of  other  wayfarers  suggested  the  propriety  of  drawing 
the  modern  veil  across  his  joyous  exuberance. 

Dick  was  now  following  the  markets,  keeping  close 
watch  over  the  affairs  at  Washington,  and  getting  him- 
self thoroughly  into  the  spirit  of  genuine  commercial- 
ism. A  week  seemed  beyond  his  patience,  and  he  found 
it  impossible  to  keep  his  mind  from  speculating  on  the 
outcome  of  Miss  Burton's  unsolicited  administration 
of  his  affairs.  It  was  not  hard  for  him  to  convince 
himself  that  he  had  made  a  good  impression  on  Mr. 
Burton,  but  he  greatly  preferred  to  be  under  no  obliga- 
tions to  that  gentleman,  and  felt  much  aggrieved  that 
he  could  not  continue  his  love-making  according  to  the 
established  custom  of  the  offspring  of  warring  factions. 

At  the  expiration  of  four  days,  he  decided  to  strain 
his  forbearance  no  longer,  and  about  nine  o'clock  in 
the  evening  he  started  for  the  oak  tree  post-office. 
He  found  a  note  and  gleefully  hurried  up  the  road  to 
read  it.  By  the  aid  of  his  electric  torch,  he  read :  "He 
who  fights  and  runs  away,  may  live  to  run  another 
day;  while  he  who  stays  may  lose  the  fight  and  have 
his  sorrows  double,  for  might  is  right  and  aunts  are 
bright  and  life  is  full  of  trouble." 


292  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

"I  wish  she  would  write  simple  sense,"  he  exclaimed 
impatiently.  "I  suppose  I  ought  to  see  exactly  what 
she  means,  but  I  don't.  The  way  it  looks  to  me  is, 
that  she  has  tried  to  put  over  a  clever  tale  which  was 
not  plausible  enough  for  auntie  to  swallow,  auntie 
came  down  with  the  heel  of  oppression,  and  henceforth 
Richard  is  not  considered  essential  to  Katherine's  hap- 
piness. Well,  peace  to  his  ashes,  I  don't  intend  to  give 
up  as  long  as  I'm  conscious. 

"I  haven't  time  to  make  a  rhyme,  for  rhyming's 
not  my  way ;  but  have  no  care,  I'll  sure  be  there,  when 
auntie  gets  too  gay,"  he  wrote  beneath  her  lines  and 
remarked:  "I  call  that  rather  neat,  and  this  will  let 
her  know  that  I  am  going  to  call  a  week  to  the  minute 
from  the  date  that  auntie  herself  set." 

Slipping  the  note  into  the  tree  he  walked  back  to 
Minster,  satisfied  that  his  affairs  were  progressing 
nicely.  He  knew  it  was  going  to  be  a  strain  on  his 
will  power  to  keep  his  attention  under  control  until 
the  remainder  of  the  week  had  expired;  but  he  had 
an  entirely  new  set  of  formulas,  prepared  especially 
for  Mr.  Burton's  benefit,  and  decided  to  spend  most 
of  his  time  in  practising  Ivan  on  them. 

This  useful  labor  kept  him  employed  until  the  night 
of  his  call  arrived.  After  deliberation,  he  decided  to 
wear  a  dinner  coat,  and  his  spirits  rose  prodigiously  as 
he  dressed.  Dressing  always  had  a  peculiar  stimula- 
tion for  him;  he  recited  fragments  of  poetry,  he  sang 
fragments  of  song,  and  during  the  intervals  he  carried 
on  a  conversation  with  Mulligan,  one-sided,  to  be  sure, 


STOPPED   ON   A    COUNTRY   ROAD  293 

but  learned  and  versatile,  without  being  in  any  sense 
a  mental  strain. 

During  the  entire  period  consumed  in  dressing — and 
the  period  was  a  long  one,  not  from  any  difficulty  in 
adjusting  his  raiment,  but  because  he  found  it  neces- 
sary to  gesture  fluently — well,  during  all  this  time, 
Mulligan's  mingled  features  were  wreathed  in  a  hide- 
ously happy  smile,  and  his  twisted  tail  vibrated  in 
joyous  unison  with  the  waves  of  happiness  which 
emanated  from  his  master. 

Without  the  dog,  all  the  sunny  sweetness  of  Dick's 
nature  would  have  been  confined  until  fermentation  set 
in,  but  as  it  was,  it  was  gathered  at  the  floodtide  of 
ripening,  and  he  ran  no  risk  of  becoming  a  cynic  at 
heart.  He  longed  for  the  dawning  of  the  new  social 
orc'er,  he  thirsted  for  the  moment  when,  stripped  to  the 
waist,  he  should  enter  the  ring  to  do  battle  with  the 
steel  industry,  but  in  spite  of  all  this  he  was  still  im- 
pulsive Dick  Bannington,  and  it  was  lucky  for  him  that 
just  at  this  time  he  had  Mulligan  as  a  safety-valve. 

When  all  was  finished,  when  the  last  little  shrug- 
gings  to  make  his  coat  set  gracefully  had  been  given, 
and  the  tie  had  received  its  final  pat;  when  he  had 
shaken  hands  with  himself  before  the  mirror  in  con- 
gratulation that  what  he  called  his  "boundaries"  were 
still  clear-cut  and  unbroken,  then  his  face  sobered  for 
the  inevitable  wrench. 

"Mulligan,"  he  said,  seating  himself  and  taking  the 
dog's  head  between  his  hands,  "you  know  you  can't 
go,  and  there's  no  use  turning  that  martyred,  pleading 


294  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

light  into  those  good  brown  eyes  of  yours.  If  you 
were  not  sorry  at  all,  I'd  drop  you  out  the  window  as 
an  ingrate,  but  you  don't  have  to  look  heartbroken 
when  you  know  I  am  coming  back  sometime  to-night 
and  that  I'll  take  you  for  a  walk.  I  wish  you  weren't 
such  an  aristocrat.  I  wish  you  would  look  on  Ivan  and 
Emil  as  equals  and  treat  them  as  comrades,  so  that 
they  could  take  you  for  a  jaunt  now  and  again,  but 
just  as  you  are,  old  chap,  you  are  you ;  and  when  every 
paper  in  the  country  has  a  cartoon  of  your  old  pal 
standing  on  the  prostrate  form  of  the  steel  monster, 
I'll  buy  you  the  best  porterhouse  steak  in  this  village, 
and  then  we'll  go  into  the  woods  on  a  little  vacation 
of  our  own.  Good  night,  old  scout." 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

A  RIDE  IN  THE  MOONLIGHT 

IPvICK  ran  up  the  steps  of  the  Burton  mansion  with 
-*-'  that  pleasant  feeling  of  solidarity  which  an  active 
circulation  brings.  Every  little  nerve  was  sending  in 
messages  to  say  that  all  was  well  in  its  neighborhood, 
and  not  to  feel  any  hesitation  about  calling  out  the 
reserve.  This  feeling  was  especially  noticeable  in  his 
eyes  and  was  an  infallible  indication  that  he  was 
roundly  fit. 

Dick  was  only  dimly  conscious  of  this,  he  was  busy 
examining  different  openings  to  make  his  future  wel- 
come a  certainty,  but  it  cheered  him  to  know  that  all 
his  enemies  were  on  the  outside.  He  was  ready  to  meet 
whatever  fate  had  in  store,  and  so  he  rang  the  bell 
with  vigor  and  assurance. 

After  having  been  shown  into  the  drawing-room 
he  first  examined  his  surroundings  and  was  pleased  to 
find  them  tasty  and  restful.  But  it  was  not  in  the 
nature  of  furnishings  to  occupy  his  attention  long,  and 
he  fell  to  wondering  how  many  of  the  family  he  was 
to  meet  and  what  their  order  of  arrival  would  be. 

He  had  not  long  to  wonder,  however,  for  Miss 
Burton  presently  entered.  She  was  dressed  in  dove 
gray,  and  looked  very  correct,  formidably  correct.  She 
held  her  head  at  an  angle  which  seemed  to  whisper 

295 


296  THE   STEERING   WHEEL 

warningly :  "This  is  the  final  authority  upon  all  mun- 
dane subjects." 

Dick  was  impressed,  but  not  overawed.  He  had  an 
active  intuition  which  was  so  often  correct  that  he 
placed  great  reliance  upon  its  judgment,  and  as  Miss 
Burton  entered,  he  rose  and  hastened  to  meet  her, 
keeping  his  eyes  on  hers.  She  gave  him  her  hand 
coldly  but  correctly  and  asked  him  to  be  seated.  They 
took  seats  some  distance  apart,  and  Dick  continued  to 
give  free  play  to  his  intuition.  He  was  sure  that  she 
was  disposed  to  like  him,  and  that  the  part  which 
most  appealed  to  her  was  his  jaunty  rebellion  against 
the  conventional. 

Nothing  but  intuition  could  have  brought  such  a 
perfectly  bizarre  idea  to  a  sane  mind ;  for  as  has  already 
been  stated,  Miss  Burton  was  this  evening  correct,  to 
even  a  finer  degree  than  her  usual  high  standard.  She 
looked  at  Dick  with  that  delicate  indignation  which 
indicated  that  she  was  surprised  at  an  intruder  dis- 
playing such  ease  of  manner — and  Dick  looked  at  her 
in  frank  and  smiling  approval. 

"You  should  wear  that  shade  all  the  time,"  he  ad- 
vised, "it  is  wonderfully  becoming." 

She  had  expected  he  would  immediately  ask  for 
Kate  and  was  prepared  to  smother  with  unwavering 
promptness  any  intentions  he  might  hold  regarding  her 
ward. 

"Thank  you,"  she  replied,  smoothing  her  sleeve,  "I 
nearly  always  wear  gray." 

"Can  you  hear  colors?"  asked  Dick. 

"Hear  colors?"  she  repeated  with  a  little  flush  of 


A   RIDE   IN   THE   MOONLIGHT       297 

interest,  which  was  immediately  snuffed.    "No,  I  can 
not  hear  colors." 

"Well,  I  can.  Now,  the  sound  of  your  dress  is  like 
birds  at  dawn,  not  one  bird  but  all  of  them,  not  singing, 
you  know,  but  twittering  and  cheeping  and  murmuring 
together,  the  way  birds  do  when  the  sun  is  beginning 
to  send  the  little  breezes  ahead  to  fan  the  haze  away. 
Are  you  fond  of  the  outdoors?" 

Miss  Burton's  astonishment  grew;  this  young  man 
was  not  merely  being  polite  to  her,  he  paid  all  his  at- 
tention to  her  without  glancing  at  the  door  or  listening 
for  a  footstep,  and  he  was  not  talking  to  avoid  an 
embarrassing  silence  or  a  possibly  disappointing  sub- 
ject. He  was  talking  of  things  which  interested  him- 
self and  he  had  a  companionable  way  of  inviting  her 
to  inspect  the  shells  and  bright  pebbles  which  he  had 
picked  up  along  the  great  shore  of  life. 

"I  am  not  quite  so  fond  of  it  as  I  used  to  be.  When 
I  was  young,  I  was  almost  passionately  fond  of  it." 

"If  you  choose  to  look  on  yourself  as  old,  I  shall  not 
disagree  with  you,  but  I  think  it's  foolish  to  grow  old. 
It  shows  such  a  narrow,  selfish  avoidance  of  humanity 
as  a  race." 

"I  don't  think  I  understand  you." 
"Well,  if  you — no,  I'll  say  if  one,  spends  part  of 
each  day  in  examining  one's  material  body,  one  is  sure 
to  note  changes  in  it  and  get  filled  with  this  age 
heresy,  but  if  one  keeps  looking  out  for  new  inventions, 
new  lines  of  thought,  and  especially  new  social  growth, 
one  sees  that  the  race  itself  is  just  emerging  from  child- 
hood, loses  oneself  in  the  great  future  of  the  race,  for- 


298  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

gets  one's  own  body  entirely,  until  first  thing  one  knows 
one  has  to  spank  one's  own  grandchildren  for  think- 
ing one  isn't  as  up  to  date  as  they  are." 

"I  presume  there  is  a  grain  of  truth  in  your  philoso- 
phy," admitted  Miss  Burton,  smiling  at  Dick's  closing 
phrase  delivered  in  the  tone  of  serious  argument. 

"You  try  it  as  a  prescription  and  see  if  there  isn't 
more  than  a  grain  of  truth  in  it.  Are  you  interested 
in  evolution?" 

"Well,  not  deeply  interested." 

"You're  the  loser;  it's  great  fun.  Most  people  ob- 
ject even  to  being  closely  related  to  the  anthropoid  apes, 
but  when  you  trace  their  family  tree  back  through  the 
amphibians  to  the  genuine  fish,  and  next,  to  an  indi- 
vidual with  nothing  but  a  skin  and  a  stomach,  winding 
up  with  a  single  cell  as  the  original  ancestor,  they 
make  a  noise  like  an  emergency  call." 

"I  must  say  that  I  am  thankful  that  I  do  not  have 
to  accept  such  a  doctrine." 

"Did  you  ever  stop  to  think  that  if  it  were  necessary 
to  indorse  the  natural  laws  before  they  would  act, 
we  shouldn't  be  here  at  all?  We  affirm  and  deny  and 
go  to  war  over  mysteries,  but  it  doesn't  make  any 
difference — except  to  our  immediate  relatives.  The 
natural  forces  work  right  along  and  if  we  don't  learn 
anything  else  during  our  entire  term  except  that  we 
are  nothing  but  innocent  bystanders  after  all,  we've 
learned  a  lot" 

"That  rather  does  away  with  incentive,  does  it  not?" 

"I  have  a  friend  who  is  a  Russian.  He  has  a  great 
prejudice  against  orthodox  religion,  but  his  whole 


A   RIDE   IN   THE    MOONLIGHT       299 

life  is  a  religious  service.  He  is  a  mystic,  and  has  to 
fight  against  religion  constantly.  He  has  got  the  fallen 
angels  mixed  up  in  his  evolution  and  it's  rather  an. 
interesting  complication.  He  says  that  when  the  angels 
rebelled,  they  were  hurled  out  of  Heaven  with  only 
one  faculty  and  the  germ  of  eternal  life.  This  one 
faculty  was  a  dim,  misty  memory  of  perfection.  Get 
it  clearly  now,  just  a  germ  of  eternal  life  and  a  vague 
idea  of  perfection  to  go  with  it.  In  order  to  make  the 
contrast  complete,  they  were  hurled  to  the  very  depths 
of  the  inky  ocean,  where  never  a  single  ray  of  light 
can  penetrate ;  and  there  in  the  slime  they  gathered  to- 
gether enough  matter  to  make  single  cells  apiece  and 
this  gave  the  germ  of  life  a  means  of  expression,  but 
there  was  no  way  to  express  this  idea  of  perfection, 
and  it  is  the  irrepressible  impulse  to  express  ourselves 
which  is  life's  greatest  dynamic. 

"With  this  powerful  yearning  they  continued  to 
grope  about  in  the  sea,  moaning  with  the  anguish  of 
their  inability  to  express  themselves.  No,  it  was  worse 
than  this,  for  a  single  cell  has  nothing  to  make  a  moan 
with.  It  was  as  though  all  was  paralyzed  except  the 
single  brain  cell  which  held  the  conception  of  one's 
strongest  desire.  They  did  not  even  have  self-con- 
sciousness. Well,  they  tossed  about  in  the  water  until 
some  of  them  gathered  into  clusters.  This  was  a  start, 
and  from  that  on  they  clustered  together  until  different 
cells  began  to  perform  special  functions.  But  when 
this  was  done  the  newly  formed  organism  had  as  its 
true  individuality,  its  control,  the  stricken  soul  of  a 
banished  angel,  while  each  of  the  component  cells  had 


300  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

nothing  but  a  galvanic  contact,  through  a  nerve,  with 
the  true  ego. 

"You  see,  the  first  lesson  learned  was  interdepend- 
ence, mutual  assistance,  and  all  the  succeeding'  lessons 
have  been  along  this  line.  Up  the  angels  struggled, 
along  the  stony  path  of  self -development,  until,  with 
the  evolving  of  man,  they  have  a  very  decent  machine 
to  work  with.  When  they  help  one  another,  they  pro- 
gress rapidly;  when  they  fight  and  compete,  they  sink 
back.  Sooner  or  later  experience  will  teach  them — 
but  the  enlarging  on  this  phase  of  it  would  take  a  week, 
and  perhaps  it  would  weary  you." 

"I  should  not  care  for  it  all  in  one  lesson,"  replied 
Miss  Burton,  who  had  forgotten  her  mission,  "but 
really  it  is  very  interesting,  and  I  had  always  supposed 
evolution  to  be  disgusting." 

"This  is  not  evolution ;  it  is  merely  advanced  trans- 
migration, the  fitting  of  a  mystery  to  a  science  by  a 
man  who  was  cast  in  the  religious  mold.  Evolution 
works  just  the  other  way.  There  was  no  soul  to  begin 
with  and  the  development  of  functions  has  at  the  same 
time  produced  the  mind  and  soul." 

"Oh,  the  soul  must  have  come  as  a  gift  from  above, 
not  as  an  outgrowth  of  mere  matter !  I  like  the  fallen 
angel  idea  the  better.  There  is  something  fascinatingly 
grand  in  the  thought  of  this  long  struggle  back  toward 
their  former  position." 

"I  have  done  it!"  cried  Dick,  slapping  his  fingers 
upon  his  palm. 

"Done  what  ?"  asked  Miss  Burton,  giving  a  nervous 
start. 


A   RIDE   IN   THE   MOONLIGHT       301 

"Made  you  forget  your  dignity  and  all  that,  and 
come  right  out  and  talk  things  over  with  me — even  if 
I  did  have  to  start  a  long  way  from  the  subject  I  want 
to  talk  about." 

She  answered  his  smile.  "What  made  you  think  that 
I  would  not  be  willing  to  come  right  out  and  talk 
things  over  with  you?" 

"You  did.  You  came  into  this  room  this  evening 
and  looked  down  on  me  and  said  to  yourself :  'Young 
man,  it  is  my  duty  to  prove  to  you,  in  as  few  words  as 
possible,  that  you  are  not  welcome — and  I  think  I 
shall  enjoy  putting  you  back  in  your  proper  element 
as  quickly  and  firmly  as  possible/  That  is  what  you 
thought,  but  I  wanted  to  take  you  out  of  yourself  first, 
so  that  we'd  have  a  fair  start.  Now  I  am  ready  for 
the  verdict." 

Miss  Burton  looked  down  at  the  floor.    The  shaded 
lamps  threw  a  soft  light  over  her,  and  it  suddenly  oc- 
curred to  Dick  that  she  was  not  at  all  bad  looking. 
Miss  Burton  was  one  of  those  women  who,  having 
once  yielded  to  their  relatives  in  a  matter  of  moment, 
devote  the  balance  of  their  lives  silently  to  holding  up 
this  compliance  as  the  cause  of  all  subsequent  unhappi- 
ness,  no  matter  how  remote  it  may  be.    And  for  i 
that  the  unhappiness  would  not  be  sufficiently  . 
spicuous,  develop  an  expression  of  martyr-like  s 
sion  which  serves  as  a  perennial  accusation  agair 
these  unhappy  and  repentant  relatives. 

Even  as  the  intoxicated  man  is  seldom  so  far 
the  influence  of  drink  that  some  part  of  his  personality 
is  not  aware  of  his  irrational  acts,  so  Miss  Burton  fully 


302  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

understood  that  her  attitude  was  a  species  of  torture 
to  those  about  her.  Yet  having  deliberately  chosen 
this  plan,  consciousness  of  it  only  served  to  instruct  her 
in  bringing  it  to  a  higher  state  of  perfection. 

But  so  artificial  a  warping  of  human  beauty  could 
not  endure  the  strong  rays  from  Dick's  normal  person- 
ality, and  when  Miss  Burton  let  her  eyes  fall  to  the 
floor,  all  the  wasted  years  of  her  narrow  life  seemed 
to  crowd  about  her  to  clamor  at  the  starvation  with 
which  she  had  fed  them.  She  could  not  understand  her 
feelings ;  it  was  nothing  he  had  said,  it  was  not  even 
himself  as  an  individual.  It  was  the  spirit  of  youth 
which  she  had  denied  and  which  had  returned  when 
least  expected  to  taunt  and  disarm  her. 

"Let's  go  out  into  the  moonlight,"  suggested  Dick 
after  a  minute's  silence.  "The  night  is  beautiful,  and 
no  matter  what  you  have  to  say,  it  will  be  easier  to 
say  it  in  the  moonlight." 

His  voice  had  grown  serious  at  the  thought  of  all 
this  message  might  mean  to  him,  for  the  continued 
absence  of  Kate  convinced  him  that  the  decision  had 
not  been  in  his  favor. 

"Katherine's  father  insisted  on  her  accompanying 
him  to  New  York  to  do  some  shopping,  and  plan  some 
recreation  for  the  evening,"  explained  Miss  Burton. 

She  did  not  know  that  she  was  going  to  say  it,  and 
afterward  she  did  not  know  why  she  had  said  it,  but 
wrhen  Dick  said,  "Thank  you,"  very  softly,  she  was 
surprised  to  see  how  glad  she  was  that  she  had  said  it. 

"Well,  shall  we  go  outdoors?"  he  asked  again.  "It 
is  criminal  to  stay  in  the  house  such  a  night  as  this." 


A   RIDE   IN    THE   MOONLIGHT       303 

"Yes,  I  think  it  would  be  very  enjoyable  in  the 
moonlight,"  replied  Miss  Burton  a  little  wistfully.  "I 
shall  get  a  wrap  at  once." 

"I  am  going  bareheaded,"  announced  the  primitive 
Richard. 

"Then  I  am  going  bareheaded  too,"  said  the  sedate 
Miss  Burton  with  a  laugh  which  differed  materially 
from  any  which  had  passed  her  lips  for  years. 

She  picked  up  a  white  knitted  scarf  as  they  passed 
through  the  hall  and  soon  they  were  together  in  the 
shadows  of  the  trees.  It  seemed  like  a  dream  to  her; 
for  so  many  years  she  had  developed  an  affectation 
that  it  had  become  a  reality  to  herself  and  all  about 
her;  and  now  the  youth,  her  own  youth,  which  she 
had  imprisoned  long  ago,  had  returned,  laughing  coyly, 
thrilling  with  exhilaration  at  what  was  really  an  ad- 
venture, and  wonderful  with  the  reincarnation  of  that 
free  girlish  shyness  which  is  a  mixture  of  challenge, 
inexperience,  and  the  secretiveness  of  the  wild  thing 
which  watches  the  hunter  from  a  thicket  and  half 
hopes  for  discovery  and  the  glorious  chase  afterward 
with  its  own  life  as  the  prize. 

And  Dick  was  not  playing  a  part  either,  at  least  not 
purposely  playing  one.  Miss  Burton  was  an  original 
character  possessing  an  individuality  which  interested 
him,  and  it  always  afforded  him  a  wealth  of  amusement 
to  rout  old  age  and  make  old  folk  feel  and  act  like 
children.  He  was  so  fond  of  companionship  that  he 
invariably  made  companions  of  those  about  him,  age, 
sex,  nor  species  being  allowed  to  interfere. 

A  stretch  of  smooth  sward,  flecked  with  moonlight, 


304  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

spread  out  before  them.  "I  can  beat  you  to  that  big 
oak  tree,"  cried  Dick  pointing. 

She  looked  into  his  face  a  moment,  and  then  without 
a  word,  turned  and  ran  with  surprising  lightness  to- 
ward the  tree.  Dick  followed,  drew  alongside  and 
made  the  race  a  tie. 

"Dear,  dear,"  she  said,  catching  her  breath,  "I 
haven't  run  that  far  for — it  must  be  twenty  years." 

Her  face  was  flushed,  her  eyes  danced,  and  as  Dick 
noted  them  with  the  critical  eye  of  a  connoisseur,  it 
occurred  to  him  that  twenty  years  ago  he  would  have 
been  sorely  tempted  to  claim  a  prize  at  the  end  of  the 
race. 

"You  don't  look  much  older  than  that  yourself," 
was  what  he  said.  "I'll  tell  you  what  I'd  like  to  do, 
I'd  like  to  put  a  tick-tack  on  somebody's  window.  Are 
you  game?" 

"Not  that  game,"  replied  Miss  Burton  laughing — it 
was  so  easy  to  laugh  this  evening.  "I  never  could 
stand  another  run,  and  I  am  sure  we'd  be  chased  if  you 
were  the  leader." 

"Well,  come  along,  then,  and  we'll  see  if  there  is  any 
mischief  to  get  into  on  these  grounds;  and  as  we  walk, 
I'll  tell  you  something  funny.  For  several  days  I 
thought  my  uncle  wanted  me  to  marry  you — and  I 
was  already  head  over  heels  in  love  with  your  niece." 

"Marry  me?"  exclaimed  Miss  Burton,  almost  re- 
covering her  dignity. 

"Yes,  you  see  it  was  this  way — "  and  Dick  swung 
into  a  full  account  of  all  that  had  taken  place  since  his 
return. 


A   RIDE   IN   THE   MOONLIGHT       305 

"It  certainly  is  lots  of  fun  to  be  young,"  she  said 
with  a  sigh  when  at  last  he  had  finished. 

"Yes,  and  the  best  of  it  is  that  it  is  the  privilege  of 
all  free  people,"  added  Dick.  "Only  the  slaves  of  the 
years  get  old.  Now,  for  instance,  here  is  a  swing,"  he 
said,  pointing  to  one  which  had  been  erected  to  enter- 
tain the  Sunday-school  class  which  a  friend  of  Kate's 
taught,  and  which  had  been  allowed  to  remain.  "Old 
folk  would  pass  this  swing  grunting  and  grumbling, 
but  we  shall  get  in  and  take  a  ride." 

"Oh,  no,  there  is  a  limit  to  my  folly,"  protested  Miss 
Burton ;  but  all  the  time  she  was  being  led  toward  the 
swing  and  soon  she  was  seated  in  it,  and  Dick  was 
pushing  vigorously  until  the  ropes  creaked  and  Miss 
Burton,  with  little  gasps  and  gurgles,  found  herself 
soaring  up  to  the  branches. 

"Twenty,"  he  counted,  "and  that's  one  for  each 
birthday,  and  you'll  have  to  do  your  own  pumping  if 
you  want  to  ride  any  more." 

The  swing  was  permitted  to  wear  out  its  own  mo- 
mentum, and  when  it  at  last  hung  at  rest  again,  Dick's 
hilarity  had  left  him  and  he  asked  soberly:  "Are  you 
my  for-truly  friend?" 

"I  am,"  replied  Miss  Burton,  holding  up  her  right 
hand  with  affected  solemnity.  "I  have  to  be,  for  if  you 
should  tell  all  that  I  have  done  to-night,  I  should  be 
ashamed  to  meet  people  I  know." 

"Well,  then,  tell  me  the  result  of  the  conference." 

"The  result  of  the  conference  was  that  you  had  bet- 
ter give  up  Katherine's  acquaintance." 

"Was  it  unanimous  ?" 


306  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

"I  believe  there  was  a  dissenting  opinion,  but  that 
was  the  final  verdict." 

"Who  conferred?" 

"You  ask  entirely  too  many  questions.  Only  Kath- 
erine  and  myself  conferred." 

"Who  gave  the  dissenting  opinion?" 

Miss  Burton  laughed,  her  laugh  had  become  very 
musical.  "The  one  who  knew  you  best,"  she  said. 

"Has  anything  happened  since  to  modify  the  ver- 
dict?" 

Again  she  laughed.  "Yes,  the  elder  conferee  has 
toppled  from  her  pedestal  and  has  found  out  that  she  is 
much  like  other  men." 

"Then  I  move  you  that  the  former  verdict  be  set 
aside  and  a  new  conferee  be  elected — me  being  it." 

"Well,  what  do  you  propose  ?" 

"I  advise  that  the  acquaintance,  instead  of  being 
discontinued,  be  cultivated."  • 

"Now,  I  shall  be  perfectly  frank  with  you,"  said 
Miss  Burton.  "I  am  going  to  call  you  Dick." 

"It  has  been  tried  before  without  fatal  results." 

"Well,  Dick,  Kate  convinced  me  that  under  the  cir- 
cumstances, it  would  not  be  altogether  fair  to  confide 
in  Mr.  Burton." 

"She  has  a  wonderful  lot  of  wisdom  for  a  girl!" 
exclaimed  Dick  enthusiastically.  "Now,  I'll  tell  you 
why.  You  see  I  am  only  an  experiment,  I'm  starting 
a  new  business  which  is  liable  to  interfere  with  Mr. 
Burton's  business.  I  have  every  reason  to  believe  that 
he  is  already  prejudiced  against  the  name  of  Banning- 
ton,  and  it  would  be  a  square  deal  all  around  if  Kate 


A   RIDE   IN   THE   MOONLIGHT       307 

and  I  were  left  to  figure  it  out  ourselves,  free  from  any 
outside  interference." 

"A  father's  natural  supervision  can  scarcely  be  called 
outside  interference,"  said  Miss  Burton  with  a  friendly 
smile. 

"Well,  in  this  case,  a  hang-over  prejudice  makes  it 
even  worse." 

"I  honestly  don't  know  what  my  duty  is,  now," 
said  Miss  Burton. 

"Why  can't  we  meet  with  you  for  a  chaperone? 
Then  there  would  only  be  one  danger,  and  we'll  have  to 
risk  that." 

"What  danger  ?"  asked  Miss  Burton  innocently. 

"Kate  is  sure  to  become  jealous." 

Any  one  would  have  joined  in  Miss  Burton's  laugh- 
ter. It  was  as  silvery  as  the  moonlight,  and  this  in 
spite  of  the  fact  that  her  little  circle  had  supposed 
that  she  had  long  ago  forgotten  how  to  laugh  at  all. 
This  world  is  nothing  but  a  huge  laboratory ;  mix  the 
right  chemicals  together  and  the  result  is  sure  to  be 
beautiful  and  orderly,  and  Dick's  personality  was  the 
complement  which  Miss  Burton  had  been  lacking. 

"If  we  try  the  experiment,  I  shall  be  very  vigilant 
*and  circumspect,"  she  said  warningly. 

"Well,  then,  that  is  settled,"  said  Dick. 
about  how  many  times  a  week  do  you  think  I  should 
call?" 

"Once,  just  once." 

"Oh,  tyranny!    Twice,  anyway." 

"You  may  come  the  fourth  night  from  this,  as  you 
have  not  seen  her  this  time;  and  now  I  must  go  in  for 


308  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

my  good  name's  sake.  I  am  almost  afraid  to  face 
the  butler  as  it  is." 

"Shall  I  call  at  the  front  or  the  back  door?"  asked 
Dick. 

"Such  a  question!"  exclaimed  Miss  Burton,  as  they 
walked  toward  the  house. 

"Well?"  asked  Dick  after  a  long  silence. 

"If  I  were  you,  I  should  call  first  at  the  oak  tree 
post-office,"  said  Miss  Burton. 

After  Dick  had  slipped  on  his  coat  and  was  standing 
hat  in  hand,  he  looked  gravely  into  Miss  Burton's 
eyes.  "I  have  enjoyed  my  first  real  call  immensely. 
I  shall  always  be  indebted  to  you,  but  I  must  say  that 
you  have  been  a  terrible  hypocrite*  If  you  do  not  know 
what  I  mean,  just  look  in  your  mirror  before  your 
present  mood  leaves  you  and  see  how  different  you 
really  are  from  the  way  you  have  tried  to  appear." 

He  held  her  hand  in  a  long,  firm  clasp  at  parting; 
and  Miss  Burton  did  look  in  her  mirror  that  night,  and 
furthermore  had  a  long  refreshing  cry  before  she  went 
to  sleep  which  was  quite  necessary  for  proper  read- 
justment. The  tears  were  not  of  sorrow,  and  still  there 
was  also  a  tinge  of  sadness  in  them;  not  at  having 
been  found  out,  but  in  having  been  able  to  keep  the  real 
self  of  her  hidden  so  long. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

ENTERING  THE  STRETCH 

T  TALF-PAST  seven  on  the  morning  of  the  fifteenth 
-•-  J-  of  October  found  Emil  and  Ivan  transforming 
the  outer  office  at  ninety-six  Nathan  Street  from  a 
sleeping-breakfast-room  into  a  neat  and  orderly  com- 
mercial bastion.  The  breakfast  dishes  had  been 
washed  and  Emil  was  putting  them  carefully  into  the 
filing  cabinet  while  Ivan  folded  the  bedding  and  ar- 
ranged it  on  the  bunks  back  of  the  counter. 

"This  is  but  little  like  I  expected,"  said  Ivan,  paus- 
ing for  a  moment.  "Here  have  I  become  a  janitor,  a 
cook,  a  general  office  man,  and  a  chamber  maid — and 
I  came  to  this  country  to  fight  for  liberty." 

"You  are  fighting  for  liberty,"  replied  Emil,  "but 
you  are  one  of  those  who  can  never  learn  that  the  most 
successful  fights  are  of  the  greatest  silence.  You  have 
become  a  leader  among  the  Russian  Jews.  If  the 
present  system  continues  long  enough  they  will  all  the 
money  in  the  world  control.  Who  the  money  controls 
the  world  controls,  but  evolution  is  never  enough  for 
you.  You  must  have  things  come  about  through  an 
election  or  a  battle  before  you  are  content.  As  I  have 
many  times  pointed  out  to  you— 

A  knock  on  the  door  interrupted  Emil  and  Ivan 

309 


310  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

opened  it  to  find  the  iceman  with  a  large  chunk  stand- 
ing in  the  hall. 

"Come  but  twice  a  week  after  this,  and  come  ear- 
lier," said  Ivan,  taking  the  ice  and  putting  it  into  the 
wall  safe. 

"You  must  be  careful,"  cautioned  Emil.  "You  are 
knocking  the  paint  off  that  safe  and  getting  it  all  with 
nicks  covered." 

"If  my  way  of  doing  it  does  not  satisfy  you,  you  are 
at  liberty  to  do  it  yourself." 

"I  am  the  head  bookkeeper,  it  would  be  improper," 
replied  Emil  with  dignity. 

"You  speak  as  though  I  were  a  janitor  by  inherit- 
ance," retorted  Ivan.  "To  one  who  believes  that  all 
labor  is  equally  honorable,  how  can  any  task  be  im- 
proper ?" 

"Unless  one  possess  unusual  powers  of  discrimina- 
tion, it  is  extremely  difficult  to  apply  a  grand  and  un- 
deniable abstract  truth.  Under  certain  circumstances 
I  would  cheerfully  the  ice  into  the  safe  put,  but  to  our 
present  business  such  a  course  would  be  harmful." 

Ivan  had  picked  up  the  broom,  but  instead  of  using 
it,  he  faced  Emil  and  demanded:  "Did  we  come  to 
this  country  to  engage  in  business?" 

"Not  so,"  admitted  Emil.  "We  came  under  false 
pretensions.  This  young  Bannington  pretended  to  be 
of  great  wealth  possessed,  and  now — " 

"He  was  of  great  wealth  possessed,  he  does  not  pre- 
tend things.  You  know  perfectly  well  how  this  has 
come  about  and  you  are  of  a  mean  spirit  to  reproach 
him.  As  for  me,  I  shall  do  my  best  by  him." 


ENTERING   THE   STRETCH          311 

"You  would  do  no  more  than  I,  myself,  am  ready  to 
do.  If  you  are  so  thoughtful  of  his  interests,  why 
are  you  not  of  the  wall  safe  more  careful.  Does  he 
wish  it  known  that  it  is  of  wood — and  an  ice-box  ?" 

"This  is  a  small  matter,"  replied  Ivan  disdainfully, 
"I  am  willing  to  give  up  my  life  for  him." 

"That  is  also  a  small  matter,"  rejoined  Emil.  "You 
were  willing  to  give  up  your  life  for  Russia,  for  suffer- 
ing humanity,  for — well  for  almost  any  reason  what- 
ever, but  after  all,  the  giving  up  of  a  life  is  of  small 
effect.  I  should  rather  have  to  help  me  one  living  man 
than  a  dozen  dead  ones.  It  is  easy  enough  to  say,  my 
life  I  am  willing  at  his  feet  to  lay  down,  but  when  it 
comes  to  being  careful  of  the  ice-box  day  after  day,  it 
becomes  monotonous,  and — " 

"There  is  nothing  on  earth  so  monotonous  as  the 
constant  growling  of  your  voice,"  cried  Ivan.  "One 
would  think  that  a  man's  capacity  in  all  things  was  to 
be  measured  by  the  care  he  took  of  ice-boxes.  You 
do  nothing  all  day  but  read  in  a  book  and  complain  bit- 
terly at  your  lot.  I  study  to  see  how  I  can  best  help 
Dick  out  of  his  trouble.  I  tell  you  he  is  in  deep  trouble. 
He  tries  to  pass  it  off,  but  I  can  see  into  him.  Last 
night  when  he  spoke  at  the  meeting,  did  you  notice 
him?  He  was  not  bitter  against  the  rich :  he  said  that 
it  was  impossible  to  judge  by  a  man's  clothes  or  posi- 
tion or  surroundings  how  heavy  was  the  load  he  was 
carrying,  and  that  if  socialism  would  only 

the  poor  of  their  sufferings  it  would  be  a  failure.  He 
laid  the  most  stress  on  the  terrific  struggles  of  the  busi- 
ness men  of  to-day  and  how  gladly  they  would  lay 


312  THE    STEERING   WHEEL1 

down  their  responsibilities  if  they  could.  He  is  in 
great  need  of  money." 

"That  is  true,"  admitted  Emil  thoughtfully.  "We 
have  not  had  meat  for  four  days — except  the  Mulli- 
gan, of  course." 

"Beans  and  rice  are  more  nourishing  than  meat,  but 
dogs  must  have  some  meat,"  said  Ivan  loyally. 

"If  I  could  see  what  he  is  trying  to  do,  I  could  stand 
it  better,"  said  Emil,  "but  what  sense  is  there  in  his 
hiring  those  two  crippled  old  men  and  making  one 
of  them  stay  up  all  night  to  work?" 

"I  know  not,  but  I  am  sure  the  reason  is  sufficient. 
Hush,  here  he  comes." 

Dick  opened  the  door  with  a  vigorous  swing  and 
entered  with  Mulligan.  "This  October  air  is  like  wine," 
he  exclaimed  heartily.  "Great  stuff  for  the  lungs — 
good  for  the  stomach,  too.  I  think  I  can  almost  di- 
gest those  flap-jacks  now,  Ivan,  but  they  are  dangerous 
things  for  an  amateur  to  fool  with.  You  mean  well, 
I  know,  but  your  early  Russian  training  is  against  you. 
I  fear  you  use  the  same  recipe  for  flap- jacks  that  you 
formerly  used  for  bombs." 

"A  man  can  do  but  his  best.  Cooking  is  not  my 
gift.  I  came  to  this  country  willing  to  lay  down  my— 

"That's  all  right,  Ivan.  Some  are  born  cooks,  some 
achieve  cookery,  and  some  have  to  exist  on  your  con- 
coctions; but  when  it  comes  to  the  laying  down  of  a 
life  or  a  carpet,  that  is  an  entirely  different  matter. 
Well,  I  must  get  to  work." 

Before  Dick  reached  the  door  of  his  private  office, 


ENTERING   THE    STRETCH  313 

Emil  stopped  him.  "I  should  like  to  have  some  work 
to  do.  Here  we  have  been  for  three  months  and  not 
more  than  a  dozen  customers." 

"What  difference  does  that  make?"  demanded  Dick. 
"We  did  not  get  any  money  from  the  few  we  did  have, 
so  why  wish  to  be  bothered  with  more?" 

"Yes,"  said  Ivan  earnestly,  "but  it  seems  a  shame  to 
maintain  expensive  offices  and  not  do  any  business.  It 
is  a  waste  of  both  time  and  money." 

"Nonsense,"  scoffed  Dick.  "When  it  comes  to 
money,  none  of  us  has  any  to  waste,  but  when  it  comes 
to  time  there  is  always  a  surplus  anyway.  Why,  if 
you  are  short  of  time,  just  go  steal  a  diamond  ring  and 
they'll  probably  give  you  ten  years  for  it." 

"Still,  I  should  like  some  work  that  would  keep  me 
busy,"  grumbled  Emil. 

"I  sincerely  sympathize  with  you,"  said  Dick.  "You 
have  an  abundance  of  paper;  why  don't  you  write  the 
libretto  of  an  up-to-date  history.  Now,  listen ;  things 
have  to  come  to  a  head  pretty  soon,  and  I  want  both 
of  you  to  keep  busy  if  any  customers  come.  Don't 
notice  them  at  first.  Be  proud,  be  haughty,  that  is 
the  way  to  give  the  impression  of  great  prosperity.  I 
have  written  to  a  lot  of  people  who  owe  me  money. 
If  any  one  tries  to  pay  you  money,  don't  be  in  a  hurry 
to  take  it;  make  them  identify  themselves  and  if  you 
do  take  it,  be  surly  about  it — we  don't  want  any  one 
to  think  that  we  are  green  to  the  ways  of  business — 
but  don't  let  them  get  away  entirely.  Use  the  delay 
formula  on  all  who  ring  up,  and  if  any  one  is  admitted 


3i4  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

to  my  office,  use  the  butt-in  formula.  Come,  Mulli- 
gan." 

Dick  entered  his  private  office  and  proceeded  to  hunt 
for  a  cigarette.  Failing  to  find  it  he  opened  the  door 
and  asked :  "Ivan,  when  you  pawned  my  Tuxedo,  diet 
you  search  the  pockets?" 

"I  don't  think  I  did,"  answered  Ivan. 

"Make  it  a  rule  never  to  pawn  anything  or  give  any- 
thing away  without  first  examining  the  pockets,"  said 
Dick  sternly. 

He  reentered  his  office  and  taking  a  perfecto  from 
a  drawer  in  his  desk,  he  smelled  of  it  lovingly,  then 
dampened  a  blotter  and  put  them  both  back  into  the 
drawer. 

In  the  meantime,  Emil  had  taken  down  the  huge 
ledger,  turned  its  blank  pages  and  replaced  it  with 
a  sigh,  after  which  he  knocked  on  Dick's  door  and  was 
admitted.  "Have  you  nothing  you  wish  to  know?" 
he  asked  soberly. 

"No,  I  am  perfectly  familiar  with  everything  I 
have,"  answered  Dick  with  equal  seriousness. 

"I  mean,  is  there  nothing  which  you  lack  which  you 
wish?" 

"Oh,  many  things,  dear  friend,  many  things;  but 
from  what  I  know  of  you,  I  question  your  ability  to 
supply  the  demand." 

"I  should  very  much  like  some  work,"  persisted  Emil 
sadly. 

"Have  you  committed  to  memory  the  names  of  the 
New  York  capitalists  and  the  estimated  size  of  their 
fortunes?" 


ENTERING   THE    STRETCH  315 

"Yes,  indeed.  Shall  I  name  them  alphabetically, 
or  according  to  the  size  of  their  fortunes?'' 

"If  you  do  either  in  my  presence,  I  shall  take  your 
life  with  great  violence."  Dick  studied  a  moment  and 
then  asked :  "When  was  the  dawn  of  civilization  ?" 

"According  to  the  Bible,  six  thousand  years  ago, 
because  Adam  was  a  civilized  being  to  begin  with ;  but 
if  you  really  mean  the  dawn  of  civilization,  it  would 
be  safe  to  put  it  back  at  least  thirty  thousand  years. 
Morgan  says — " 

"That's  close  enough.  Now,  I  want  to  know  the 
value  of  one  penny  at  six  per  cent,  compound  interest 
from  the  dawn  of  Morgan's  civilization.  You  need 
not  carry  the  answers  out  farther  than  mills.  Try  to 
get  this  as  soon  as  possible." 

"Ah,  that  is  something  like  a  job !"  exclaimed  Emil, 
rubbing  his  hands  together  delightedly  as  he  returned 
to  the  outer  office.  "Ah,  Ivan,  I  now  have  a  job  which 
is  to  my  ability  fitted." 

"I  care  not,"  answered  Ivan.  "I  have  a  new  cook- 
book and  I  am  going  to  learn  how  to  construct  a  suet 
pudding." 

Dick  slowly  filled  and  lighted  a  pipe.  "Mulligan, 
this  has  to  explode  pretty  soon,  there  is  no  use  talking. 
They  are  trying  to  bluff  me  and  they  certainly  deserve 
credit,  but,  hang  it,  Mulligan,  they  have  to  give  in. 
Sooner  or  later,  they  have  to  give  in.  I  always  did  like 
a  pipe  better  than  a  cigar,  but  I  wish  I  were  as  strong 
financially  as  this  pipe  is  odoriferously." 

He  clasped  his  hands  behind  his  head  and  leaned 
back  in  his  chair,  mechanically  placing  his  feet  on  the 


3i6  THE   STEERING  WHEEL 

desk.  His  brows  were  drawn  together  and  the  lines 
of  long-continued  strain  were  faintly  visible.  The  three 
past  months  had  thumbed  his  face  heavily,  hardening 
it  and  molding  it  to  a  cast  of  grim  determination.  The 
old  boyishness  was  still  there,  but  it  no  longer  waited 
to  spring  forth,  instead  it  appeared  to  come  as  an 
instructed  delegate.  After  a  time  he  took  a  photograph 
of  Kate  from  a  drawer  and  shading  his  eyes  with  the 
palm  of  his  left  hand  he  gazed  at  it  steadily. 

The  honk  of  a  motor  was  heard  in  the  street  below, 
and  presently  William  Burton,  very  busy  and  very  im- 
portant, entered  the  outer  office.  Emil  continued  his 
figuring  and  Ivan,  whose  book  was  hidden,  appeared  to 
be  filling  out  checks  to  pay  a  heap  of  bills  which  lay  on 
the  desk  before  him. 

Mr.  Burton  stamped  his  foot.  "Well,  when  am  I  to 
be  waited  on?" 

"Whom  do  you  wish  to  sec?"  inquired  Ivan 
softly. 

"I  want  to  see  that  young  Bannington." 

"Have  you  an  engagement  with  him?" 

"Engagement?  No!  I  am  William  Burton  of  the 
National  Steel  Mills,  and  I  don't  have  to  have  engage- 
ments." 

"He  is  very  busy  this  morning  and  I  doubt  if  he  will 
see  you,  but  I'll  take  in  your  card,"  said  Ivan  gently 
as  he  descended  from  his  stool  and  opened  the  wicket 
door  which  separated  them. 

"I  don't  carry  a  card,"  snapped  Burton.  "My  face 
is  enough." 

Ivan  appeared  as  free  from  guile  as  a  cold  lizard. 


ENTERING   THE   STRETCH  317 

"I  am  sorry,  sir,  but  I  can't  take  in  your  face  and  we 
have  strict  orders — " 

"You  simply  say  that  I  am  here,"  roared  Burton, 
turning  purple. 

Ivan  tiptoed  to  the  door  and  knocked  softly.  After 
waiting  a  moment  he  knocked  a  trifle  more  loudly.  At 
his  third  attempt  he  was  admitted  and  announced  Mr. 
Burton  without  evincing  the  slightest  excitement. 

Dick  rattled  some  papers  in  his  hand  for  a  moment 
and  said  with  polite  impatience :  "Present  Mr.  Burton 
with  my  compliments  and  say  that  press  of  business 
compels  me  to  ask  him  to  call  again." 

Ivan  closed  the  door  reverently  and  said  to  Mr. 
Burton  with  formal  independence :  "Mr.  Bannington's 
compliments,  sir,  and  he  says  that  press  of  business 
compels  him  to  ask  you  to  call  again,." 

Mr.  Burton's  face  worked  convulsively  and  his  rapid 
breathing  was  clearly  audible.  Many  years  had  passed 
since  he  had  been  thrown  against  the  granite  of  a 
modern  business  wall,  and  it  was  a  shock  which  ef- 
fectually loosened  his  habitual  complacency.  After 
one  has  been  accustomed  to  talking  freely  with  the 
brain  of  an  industry,  it  is  galling  in  the  extreme  to  be 
stopped  by  the  mere  hands.  One  can  not  argue  with  a 
hand,  one  can  not  remonstrate  with  it,  or  revile  it,  or 
threaten  it,  or  even  stamp  one's  feet  and  swear  before  it 
— without  losing  one's  dignity,  and  the  strain  is  some- 
thing terrific,  when  one  is  not  properly  braced. 

It  would  have  been  as  nothing  to  one  of  the  common 
people,  who  never  under  any  consideration  come  into 
contact  with  the  brain  of  an  enterprise,  but  who  trans- 


318  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

act  all  their  affairs  with  mere  hands,  strong,  unsympa- 
thetic, and  having  nothing  whatever  to  do  in  deciding 
on  the  actions  which  they  perform.  This  is  really  one 
of  the  most  humiliating  features  of  modern  life,  this 
constant  dealing  with  the  unseen  and  the  immovable. 
All  our  traffic  has  some  of  the  secretiveness  of  the 
"blind  tiger."  We  rap  on  a  door,  a  small  wicket  in  it 
opens  and  a  hand  reaches  forth,  we  put  some  money  in 
the  hand,  and  presently  a  package  is  given  to  us.  We 
open  the  package  and  curse  bitterly  because  we  have 
been  indecently  done,  but  what  is  the  fun  in  complain- 
ing to  a  bare  wall?  One  can  not  even  insult  a  bare 
wall. 

And  the  wall  between  the  brain  of  a  corporation  and 
the  common  people  is  just  as  real  as  though  it  were 
made  of  bronze.  If  you  don't  need  credit,  it  is  very 
soothing  to  ask  it  of  the  credit  man,  but  if  you  are 
actually  undergoing  a  severe  financial  depression,  you 
will  get  more  sympathy  and  nourishment  from  a  frozen 
pump.  The  common  people  have  been  dealing  with 
automatic  fixtures  so  long  that  they  also  have  lost 
their  own  identity.  "The  Common  People"  as  a  term, 
no  longer  suggests  the  bone  and  sinew  of  the  nation. 
It  suggests  a  two-legged  insect  with  large  glasses  and 
a  worried  look,  and  this  appears  to  be  the  ideal  up 
to  which  most  of  us  are  striving  to  live. 

But  Mr.  Burton  did  not  feel  like  an  invertebrate ;  he 
felt  like  the  National  Steel  Mills,  and  to  be  calmly 
held  from  his  purpose  by  so  frail  a  barrier  as  a  tall, 
foreign  mystic,  was  to  have  his  circulation  increased 
to  the  danger  point  and  fill  him  with  an  anarchy 


ENTERING   THE    STRETCH  319 

which  was  something  more  than  theoretical.  He  wanted 
to  lay  hands  on  something,  but  it  was  not  there.  He 
had  no  quarrel  with  the  creature  before  him  and  the 
more  expression  he  gave  to  his  inner  feelings,  the  more 
he  would  lower  himself. 

He  coughed,  he  gurgled,  and  then  he  whirled  on  his 
heel  and  left  the  office,  leaving  the  door  standing  wide, 
lest  in  his  haste  he  smash  it  to  pieces. 

Ivan  closed  the  door  with  deliberation  and  shook  his 
head  sorrowfully.  "That  one  has  plenty  of  money," 
he  said.  "He  does  not  even  get  in.  The  next  one 
will  probably  be  after  money,  and  he  will  receive  a 
royal  welcome.  I  wish  I  knew  what  our  business  really 
was." 

The  door  opened  and  Lorrimer  entered.  "Is  Mr. 
Bannington  in?"  he  asked  deferentially. 

"I  shall  see,"  answered  Ivan  distantly,  as  he  noted 
the  worried  look  on  Lorrimer's  face  and  instantly  sus- 
pected that  a  financial  stringency  lay  behind  it.  "Give 
me  your  card,  please." 

Dick  glanced  at  the  card,  placed  the  photograph  back- 
in  the  drawer,  took  out  the  perfecto,  lighted  it,  ran  his 
fingers  through  his  hair,  fixed  his  attention  on  a  com- 
plicated blue-print,  and  said:  "Admit  him  at  once, 
Ivan." 

After  Lorrimer  had  entered  and  closed  the  door 
after  him,  Dick  glanced  up,  nodded,  and  said :  "Ah, 
Mr.  Lorrimer,  my  uncle's  secretary,  I  believe." 

"I  am  his  secretary  no  longer.    I  was  discharged  th! 
morning." 

"Is  that  so?    Well?" 


320  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

"You  are  probably  aware  that  we  lost  the  bid  by 
ten  thousand  dollars.  This  also  meant  losing  the  other 
government  bids  and  an  incalculable  amount  of  indus- 
trial business.  It  was  a  terrible  blow  to  the  plant 
and  your  uncle  became  suspicious  at  the  small  amount 
of  difference  between  the  bids.  I  had  ten  thousand  dol- 
lars saved,  and  yesterday  when  B.  S.  P.  got  down  to 
fifty,  I  bought.  I  told  him  of  it  at  once,  he  immediately 
inferred  that  this  money  was  the  amount  of  my  bribe, 
and  this  morning  he  discharged  me." 

"Did  you  say  the  stock  was  down  to  fifty?" 

"Forty-eight,  this  morning,  but  it  is  worth  as  much 
as  ever  if  it  can  just  hold  out  a  few  months  longer." 

"How  do  you  make  that  out?" 

"Times  are  already  beginning  to  improve,  steel  con- 
struction is  still  on  the  increase,  and  the  future  demand 
will  be  beyond  the  physical  capacity  of  the  present 
mills,  but  you  understand  that  the  war  between  the 
National  and  our  people  is  to  the  death. 

"You  see,  when  Burton  watered  a  few  years  ago, 
he  put  large  blocks  of  stock  among  the  big  users  of 
steel  and  they  naturally  feel  an  interest  in  using  his 
output  when  the  prices  are  the  same.  On  the  other 
hand,  there  has  never  been  a  large  amount  of  Banning- 
ton  stock  on  the  market.  Your  uncle  has  some  old- 
fashioned  notions,  and  while  he  has  branched  out 
extensively,  he  has  kept  the  plant  itself  pretty  clean. 
He  dropped  a  lot  of  money  in  the  International  Ship 
Syndicate  a  few  years  ago  and  the  present  panic  has 
kept  him  down,  but  as  I  say,  if  he  will  just  hold  out 
until  the  reaction,  he  will  win." 


ENTERING   THE    STRETCH  321 

"How  did  you  have  the  nerve  to  buy  stock  under 
the  present  conditions?" 

"Well — your  uncle  is  a  peculiar  man ;  he  often  con- 
sulted with  me  and  sometimes  took  my  advice.  He  was 
to  make  me  a  director  as  soon  as  I  had  sufficient  stock. 
Of  course  he,  himself,  directs  his  directors,  but  still 
I  felt  that  I  could  bring  stronger  pressure  to  bear.  I 
have  listed  the  contracts  only  awaiting  the  upward 
trend,  I  have  a  plan  for  reinstating  our  credit,  and 
I—" 

"Well,  you  certainly  did  take  an  interest  in  your 
work.  Why  did  you  come  to  see  me?" 

"To  ask  for  employment.  You  have  known  of  me  for 
several  years,  and  that  I  was  perfectly  trusted.  You 
also  know  your  uncle's  eccentricities,  and  I  felt  sure 
that  you  would  either  give  me  employment  or  assist 
me  in  getting  it.  You  perceive  that  my  position  is 
extremely  embarrassing,  as  I  could  not  make  a  com- 
plete explanation  to  any  one  but  yourself." 

"Well,  I  need  just  such  a  man  as  you,"  said  Dick. 
"What  was  your  salary  ?" 

"I  was  getting  three  thousand,  but  of  course  I  should 
be  willing  to  start  in  for  half  that  if — " 

"I  can  pay  as  high  wages  as  any  one,"  interrupted 
Dick  with  dignity,  "but  you  must  understand  from  the 
very  start  that  I  run  my  own  business  in  my  own  way. 
If  you  can  not  control  your  tongue,  you  are  of  abso- 
lutely no  use  to  me.  Things  go  on  in  this  office  every 
day  which  I  should  not  care  to  have  discussed  outside. 
I  may  as  well  tell  you  in  confidence  that  this  is  really 
a  test  office.  I  am  finding  out  my  men  and  if  they 


322  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

prove  up,  I  place  them  in  charge  of  special  departments. 
I  hire  men  on  a  plan  of  my  own  also,  furnishing  them 
with  board  and  lodging  and  paying  their  salary  out  of 
the  annual  dividends." 

"Board  and  lodging?    Why  this  is  most  irregular." 

"My  entire  system  is  irregular,"  said  Dick  sternly. 
"This  method  removes  all  temptation  to  gamble  and 
brings  in  the  income  in  a  lump  sum  ready  for  invest- 
ment. Another  thing  which  I  forgot  to  mention  is, 
that  I  am  never  thankful  for  volunteer  advice  or  com- 
ment. Think  right  along,  keep  in  constant  practice 
and  be  ready  to  hand  out  an  opinion  at  a  moment's 
notice,  but  don't  throw  them  at  me.  Never  enter  this 
office  without  permission,  and  don't  be  too  polite  to 
customers — we  have  more  now  than  we  can  attend  to. 
I  shall  make  you  my  auditor.  There  is  nothing  press- 
ing in  your  department  at  present  and  I  wish  that  you 
would  write  out  in  shorthand  your  full  and  complete 
views  on  the  present  financial  situation,  especially  with 
regard  to  its  bearing  on  the  steel  industry." 

Dick  paused  and  touched  his  bell.  "Ivan,"  he  said 
as  soon  as  the  general  office  man  had  entered,  "Mr. 
Lorrimer  is  our  new  auditor.  Provide  him  with  desk 
room,  stationery,  and  bedding." 

Dick  whirled  his  chair,  picked  up  the  blue-print,  and 
Lorrimer  followed  Ivan  into  the  outer  office  as  one  in 
a  daze.  He  was  comparing  Dick's  eccentricities  with 
his  uncle's  and  wondering  what  those  of  the  next  gen- 
eration would  be. 

As  soon  as  the  door  closed,  Dick  smothered  the  per- 
fecto  and  replaced  it  in  the  drawer  with  evident  regret. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

FORGING  AHEAD 

IVAN  provided  the  new  auditor  with  paper  and  Lor- 
rimer  immediately  started  to  cover  it  with  hiero- 
glyphics. The  subject  interested  him  and  he  deter- 
mined to  make  a  report  which  would  leave  nothing  to 
be  desired.  Emil  made  very  small  figures  and  as  he 
followed  the  prosperous  career  of  his  fictitious  penny, 
his  face  was  shrouded  in  concentration.  He  was  not 
aware  that  any  addition  had  been  made  to  the  office 
force.  He  was  not  even  aware  that  any  addition  was 
necessary. 

Ivan,  however,  was  worried.  It  seemed  to  him  that 
genuine  money  had  been  thrown  away  when  Mr.  Bur- 
ton had  been  allowed  to  escape,  and  now  that  a  new 
recruit  had  been  added  to  a  company  whose  chief  task 
was  finding  something  to  do,  he  found  it  impossible  to 
resist  questioning  Dick's  wisdom.  Suddenly  the  tele- 
phone rang,  and  he  flew  to  the  booth.  It  was  Mr.  Bur- 
ton, and  so  eager  was  Ivan  that  he  forgot  formulas  and 
hurried  to  the  door  to  the  private  office,  upon  which  he 
knocked  vigorously. 

Given  permission  to  enter,  he  rushed  in,  and  ex- 
claimed :  "Mr.  Burton  has  rung,  sir." 

Dick  looked  at  him  in  cold  displeasure.  "That  is  a 
matter  of  small  importance,"  he  said  severely ;  "but  it 

323 


324  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

is  of  very  grave  importance  to  disobey  instructions. 
Why  did  you  not  use  the  tantalizing  formula  ?" 

"He  wanted  to  see  you  very  bad  this  morning,  sir, 
and  I  thought—" 

"Thinking  is  not  one  of  your  duties  while  in  my  em- 
ploy. I  told  you  always  to  use  the  tantalizing  formula 
whenever  a  customer  became  anxious.  Let  me  do  all 
the  worrying,  and  things  will  turn  out  all  right.  Xew 
go  back  and  hang  up  the  receiver.  When  he  calls  again 
work  through  the  tantalizing  formula  and  then  put  me 
on  the  wire,  and  next  time  don't  bother  me  for  special 
instructions." 

Twenty  minutes  later  Dick  was  put  on  the  wire  after 
listening  to  a  conversation  between  Ivan  and  Mr.  Bur- 
ton which  was  very  gratifying.  As  he  talked  his  voice 
was  suave  and  sincere,  but  as  he  listened  a  grin  of 
wicked  delight  stole  over  his  features. 

"Yes,  this  is  Mr.  Bannington — I  am  very  sorry,  but 
I  told  my  clerk  to  inform  you  that  I  was  very  busy — 
My  dear  man,  I  can  not  drop  one  client  to  take  up  an- 
other— It  is  impossible  for  me  to  give  you  an  appoint- 
ment for  to-day — Well,  you  are  welcome  to  come  and 
take  your  chances,  and  you  may  not  have  to  wait  long; 
but  my  business  is  such  that  it  is  impossible  for  me  to 
favor  one  at  the  expense  of  another." 

"Xow  it  did  him  no  good  to  hang  up  his  receiver 
with  a  bang.  Come  here,  Mulligan.  Mulligan,  this 
business  is  growing  at  a  fearful  rate.  We  have  no  vice- 
president,  and  I  am  going  to  make  you  it.  You  will 
make  a  dandy!  Of  course  you  are  now  entitled  to  a 
private  secretary;  but  for  the  present  we  will  let  that 


FORGING   AHEAD 


325 


go,  and  you  do  not  even  have  to  occupy  the  private  of- 
fice of  the  V.  P.  That  will  do  now,  I  am  extremely 
busy  and  you  go  under  that  table  where  I  can't  see  you, 
and  have  a  good  sleep.  Blessed  thing  that  a  dog  doesn't 
wear  out  his  appetite  for  sleep." 

As  Mulligan  retired  to  his  favorite  resting-place,  the 
door  of  the  outer  office  opened  and  Kate  Burton  en- 
tered in  a  hesitating  manner.  Her  face  was  both  pale 
and  flushed,  and  her  eyes  unusually  bright.  It  was  evi- 
dent that  she  was  enjoying  the  luxury  of  an  adventure 
not  quite  wicked  and  not  quite  proper.  She  closed  the 
door  softly  and  looked  at  the  three  men  behind  their 
wire  screen.  Emil  continued  to  make  figures,  Lorrimer 
continued  to  make  hooks  and  dashes,  and  Ivan  con- 
tinued to  lift  dummy  bills  from  a  pile,  scan  them  care- 
fully, and  enter  them  in  a  book.  Kate  was  a  little  awed 
at  this  evidence  of  industrial  strenuosity,  and  hesitated 
at  disturbing  it. 

"I  beg  your  pardon,"  she  said  finally;  "but  is  this 
Dick's — I  mean  Mr.  Bannington's  office." 

Ivan  raised  his  solemn  eyes  and  instantly  recognized 
the  girl  who  had  forced  him  to  flee  through  a  private 
estate  at  midnight,  wearing  the  garb  of  a  female  cook. 

His  glance  accused  her.  "Have  you  an  engage- 
ment ?"  he  asked  severely. 

"Why  it  is  not  absolutely— Yes,  certainly  I  have  an 
engagement,"  answered  Kate  in  confusion. 

"Give  me  your  card  and  I  shall  take  it  in  to  him," 
said  Ivan  coldly. 

After  a  deal  of  fumbling  Kate  procured  a  card  wr, 
she  handed  to  Ivan.  Ivan  bore  the  card  to  the  president 


326  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

of  the  Dickie  Nut-lock  Company,  in  evident  disap- 
proval; but  the  moment  Dick  glanced  at  it,  he  sprang 
to  his  feet.  "Ivan,"  he  exclaimed  in  a  suppressed  voice, 
"is  there  no  limit  to  your  stupidity !  Now,  don't  let  any 
one  bother  us.  Step  right  in,  Miss  Burton." 

"Oh,  Dick,"  cried  Kate  as  soon  as  Ivan  had  removed 
his  reproachful  countenance,  "I  can  never  in  the  world 
be  conventional  again.  It  seems  to  me  that  I  always 
meet  you  where  I  shouldn't." 

"Is  that  so  ?"  asked  Dick  in  surprise.  "Now  it  never 
struck  me  that  way.  It  always  seems  to  me  that  I  never 
meet  you  half  as  often  as  I  really  should.  The  fact 
is—" 

"Mercy,  Dick,  but  this  is  a  terrible  place  to  have  an 
office,"  interrupted  Kate,  going  to  the  window  and 
gazing  out. 

"Yea,  verily,"  answered  Dick  flourishing  his  hand; 
"but  what  a  super-dandy  office  it  is  when  you  once  get 
inside." 

"It  is  a  most  dreadful  neighborhood." 

"Makes  the  contrast  all  the  sharper." 

"I  almost  fainted  on  my  way  here.  The  odors,  Dick, 
are  perfectly  shocking." 

"Merely  prejudice,"  said  Dick,  taking  down  a  bat- 
tered volume  which  he  had  picked  up  in  a  second-hand 
store.  "Listen  to  words  of  wisdom.  'It  is  an  astonish- 
ing fact  to  many,  but  over-powering  evidence  seems  to 
prove  that  rank  odors  are  generally  wholesome.  This 
fact  has  been  known  by  stockmen  for  years  and  in 
many  large  stables,  male  goats  are  kept  to  preserve  the 
health  of  the  horses  and  cattle — '  " 


FORGING   AHEAD  327 

"Dick!  where  did  you  ever  get  such  a  horrid  book? 
Well,  anyway,  I  hope  it  will  never  be  necessary  to  pre- 
serve my  health,  by  living  in  this  neighborhood." 

"How  in  the  world  did  you  get  here?"  asked  Dick 
with  interest. 

"I  walked;  I  did,  indeed.  I  started  in  my  car;  but 
when  I  came  to  this  neighborhood  I  sent  it  back  a 
ways.  I  feared  we  should  either  slay  some  of  the  chil- 
dren ;  or  some  of  the  adults  would  slay  us.  So  I  jour- 
neyed hither  with  as  much  humility  as  possible,  and 
was  prepared  to  claim  the  privileges  of  a  settlement- 
worker,  had  I  been  molested." 

"You're  the  genuine  heroine,  you  are.  I  knew  that 
you  would  come  if  I  made  it  a  test  of  courage." 

"Well,  now  that  I  am  here,  what  is  the  important 
business  ?" 

"I  want  to  know  why  it  is  that  I  have  missed  you  the 
last  three  times." 

"Father  has  a  very  strong  prejudice  against  you.  I 
never  told  you  about  it ;  but  he  saw  you  the  last  time 
that  I  did.  He  asked  me  who  you  were  the  next  morn- 
ing and  I  told  him.  We  had  quite  a  scene.  He  has  not 
actually  forbidden  my  seeing  you  because  he  knows 
that  that  would  make  me  want  to ;  but  he  has  made  it 
a  point  to  monopolize  the  evenings  on  which  you  were 
to  call." 

"I  knew  he  was  prejudiced  and  I  humored  him  in  it. 
The  young  should  always  do  this.  Of  course  we  know 
better,  but  we  should  always  act  as  if  it  were  impossible 
for  our  elders  to  make  a  mistake ;  .but  there  is  a  limit. 
I  am  willing  to  see  you  at  any  time  and  in  any  place ; 


328  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

but  I  positively  must  see  you,  and  he  will  have  to  ad- 
just himself  to  the  situation." 

"Oh,  Dick,  don't  let's  talk  about  such  things  in  a 
business  office.  You  said  in  your  message  that  you  had 
an  extremely  important  matter  to  discuss  with  me." 

"If  you  can  think  of  any  matter  more  important 
than  the  selection  of  your  partner  for  the  balance  of 
this  earth-life,  you  now  have  the  right  to  introduce  the 
subject." 

"Dick,  you  are  perfectly  incorrigible!  You  know 
that  if  I  had  thought  you  would  talk  like  this,  I  should 
not  have  come." 

Without  removing  his  eyes  from  hers,  Dick  at- 
tempted to  take  her  hand.  Without  appearing  to  be 
•conscious  of  this,  Kate  managed  to  keep  her  hand  free. 
"Well,  now  that  you're  here,"  said  Dick  tenderly,  "I 
want  you  to  answer  me.  Kate,  you  know  that  you  are 
the  only  girl  I  ever  loved — "  a  vigorous  knock  came  at 
the  door — "Get  away  from  that  door" — to  Kate — "I 
want  you  to  tell  me — " 

"You  had  better  see  who  it  was  that  knocked,"  said 
Kate  nervously. 

Dick  stalked  to  the  door  and  opened  it.  Ivan  was 
trying  to  dismiss  a  young  man  who  carried  a  book.  "It 
is  the  bill  for  the  ice,  sir,"  he  explained  to  Dick. 

"You  know  I  never  pay  bills  at  this  time,"  said  Dick 
angrily.  "Tell  him  to  call  the  first  of  the  month." 

"But  this  is  for  last  month  and  you  told  him  to  be 
sure  to  call  to-day,"  persisted  Ivan. 

"This  is  preposterous !"  said  Dick  impatiently  as  he 
stepped  into  the  outer  office  and  closed  the  door  after 


FORGING   AHEAD  329 

him.  "Now  if  you  three  can't  put  out  the  next  boy  that 
intrudes,  why  send  in  a  riot  call,  but  don't  bother  me." 

Dick  slammed  the  door  after  him  as  he  hurried  into 
his  office  to  gaze  reproachfully  on  Kate's  laughing  face. 
"Oh,  stop  laughing!"  he  protested.  "This  is  the  most 
serious  thing  in  life." 

"I  know  that  the  paying  of  an  ice  bill  is  a  serious 
matter  and  the  refusal  to  pay  one  almost  equally  so; 
but  I  just  can't  stop  laughing.  It  is  too  funny." 

"I  didn't  mean  that.  I  mean  that  my  proposal — " 

"You  might  have  known  that  a  proposal  in  an  office 
would  be  simply  a  burlesque." 

"Then  tell  me  when  I  may  see  you — when  are  you 
going  back  ?" 

"I  am  stopping  at  the  Holland  for  a  few  days  to  do 
some  shopping.  Father  has  plans  for  every  evening, 
and  I  think  there  is  a  very  deep  method  in  his  glad- 
ness." 

Dick  was  too  intense  to  be  diplomatic.  He  took  her 
hand  and  said  tenderly :  "Won't  you  give  me  this  little 
hand?" 

"Dick,  I  hate  to  be  unkind,"  replied  Kate,  her  eyes 
dancing;  "but  I  fear  I  can't  even  lend  it.  I  shall  have 
to  hold  up  my  skirt  with  one  hand ;  and  I  fear—  I  do 
not  wish  to  speak  slightingly  of  your  chosen  neighbors 
—but  I  fear  I  shall  have  to  hold  my  nose  with  the 
other." 

Dick  drew  himself  up  stiffly,  but  failed  to  inspire 
awe.  The  girl  patted  him  softly  on  the  cheek  with  her 
gloved  hand  and  ran  lightly  from  the  office. 

Dick  stood  for  a  moment  biting  his  lips  and  then  as 


330  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

the  tingling  in  his  cheek  began  to  assume  the  pleasant 
reaction  of  a  caress  instead  of  a  slap,  he  rushed  through 
the  outer  office  and  throwing  the  outer  door  wide, 
looked  dejectedly  into  the  vacant  hall. 

"Birkhead,"  he  cried  whirling  toward  his  industrious 
bookkeeper,  "I  want  you  to  follow  that  young  lady  and 
see  that  no  one  bothers  her." 

Emil  did  not  look  up  and  Dick  stamped  his  foot,  ex- 
claiming, "What's  the  matter  with  you?" 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  sir,"  said  Emil,  glancing  up  in 
surprise;  "but  I  have  only  figured  it  down  two  thou- 
sand years." 

"Figured  what  down?" 

"Why  the  compound  interest  on  one  penny  at  six 
per—" 

"Oh,  let  that  go  for  a  few  moments  and  follow  that 
young  lady." 

"What  young  lady?" 

Dick  drew  a  long  breath  and  said  calmly :  "You  go, 
Ivan.  Go  on  with  the  interest,  Emil.  I  want  the  result 
as  soon  as  possible.  How  are  you  getting  on  with  your 
article,  Mr.  Lorrimer?" 

"I  inferred  that  you  wanted  a  fairly  comprehensive 
view,  and  have  just  finished  sketching  an  outline  of  the 
general  European  conditions  prior  to  the  invention  of 
Bessemer  steel.  From  this  period  I  wish  to  lead  grad- 
ually—" 

"That  is  correct.  I  have  no  use  for  pastels.  When 
you  do  anything  for  me  I  want  a  radiograph." 

Dick  reentered  his  office  and  took  out  the  photo- 
graph. He  looked  at  it  a  long  time,  shaking  his  head 


FORGING   AHEAD  331 

thoughtfully.  "If  I  had  it  to  do  over  again,"  he  re- 
marked at  last,  "I  should  never  let  her  know  one- 
fifteenth  part  how  much  I  love  her.  Then  she  wouldn't 
be  so  blooming  independent.  But  don't  she  head  up 
well!  Oh,  she's  a  queen,  she  certainly  is!" 

In  answer  to  a  knock  Ivan  was  admitted  and  an- 
nounced, "She  got  into  a  cab,  sir." 

"All  right,"  replied  Dick,  keeping  his  attention  fixed 
on  a  bridge  sketch  under  which  he  had  thrust  the  photo- 
graph. 

As  Ivan  closed  the  door  behind  him,  Miss  Burton 
entered  the  outer  door  of  the  office.  "Where  is  this 
young  Bannington  person  ?"  she  demanded. 

"Mr.  Bannington  is  very  busy  to-day,  you  will  have 

to—" 

"Now,  that  will  do.  Announce  Miss  Burton." 
Ivan  did  not  approve  of  women,  especially  those  who 
came  into  contact  with  Dick ;  but  there  was  an  assur- 
ance about  Miss  Burton  which  forbade  delay. 

Most  of  Ivan's  moods  were  dog-like ;  he  was  faith- 
ful to  an  extreme,  but  in  performing  a  repugnant  serv- 
ice he  made  it  perfectly  clear  that  it  was  contrary  t 
the  dictates  of  his  own  conscience,  and  that  his  own 
conscience  was  absolutely  reliable.   He  walked  slowly 
to  the  door  and  gave  three  knocks  with  long  intervals 
between.    This  was  a  signal  that  the  visitor  was 
small  importance;  but  Dick  was  not  paying  at* 
and  said,  "Come  in." 

Ivan  came  up  close  to  Dick  and  whispered, 

Burton." 

Instantly  Dick  sprang  from  his  chair  and  hurried 


332  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

the  door,  radiant  with  joy.  "Kate!"  he  cried  as  he 
opened  it. 

"No,  it  is  not  Kate,"  said  Miss  Burton  coldly.  After 
entering,  she  folded  her  arms  and  waited  until  Ivan 
had  withdrawn;  "and  furthermore,  the  name  of  the 
young  lady  to  whom  you  have  just  referred  is  Kath- 
erine." 

Dick  reached  forth  his  hands,  crossing  them  en  route, 
took  one  of  Miss  Burton's  in  each  of  his  and  before  she 
was  fully  aware  of  it  was  shaking  them  heartily. 
"Well,  I'm  sure  I'm  just  as  glad  to  see  you,"  he  said. 
"This  is  your  first  visit  here.  Take  a  seat." 

"And  it  will  be  my  last,"  answered  Miss  Burton, 
striving  to  overcome  the  softening  effect  which  he  al- 
ways had  on  her.  "This  neighborhood  is  frightful.  I 
can't  see  why  you  chose  it." 

"Bless  you,  I  didn't  choose  it.  It  developed  its  pres- 
ent state  without  help  of  mine — in  fact  was  here  be- 
fore I  was,  so  that  I  can  not  claim  any  credit  for  it; 
but  it  is  so  quaint  and  picturesque,  you  know,  that 
really  I  find  it  most  interesting.  Civilization  in  the 
rough,  man  in  the  making,  as  it  were.  Won't  you  be 
seated  ?  There's  a  Chinese  laundry  in  the  next  building 
and  I'll  send  out  for  some  tea.  They  always  have  it 
ready-made,  you  know.  This  is  a  comfortable  chair — 
there,  that's  better." 

"Thank  you.  No,  certainly  not.  I  should  never  think 
of  drinking  tea  made  in  a  laundry!  Why,  the  odors  in 
these  streets  are  enough — " 

"Great,  aren't  they?"  interrupted  Dick,  beaming  with 
pride.  "I  have  a  pipe  here  which  is  pretty  good  along 


FORGING   AHEAD  333 

that  line.  Perhaps  you  would  like  to  have  me  run  it  a 
while?" 

"I  do  wish  you  would,"  said  Miss  Burton,  fanning 
herself.  "It  will  be  most  refreshing  after  those  villain- 
ous streets." 

"I'm  glad  you  like  the  streets — they  made  a  great  hit 
with  me,  too.  I  don't  care  for  anything  that  is  timid 
and  diffident.  I  like  a  thing  to  be  strong  and  self-reliant 
and  positive.  Now,  the  perfumes  of  this  neighborhood 
do  not  attempt  to  deceive  you,  they  reach  forth  and 
grab  you  by  the  nose  and  shout  their  message  clearly 
and  distinctly.  Of  course  one  can  not  approve  of  them 
entirely ;  but  there  is  something  winsome  in  their  very 
heartiness." 

"Winsome!"  repeated  Miss  Burton,  laughing. 
"Dick,  you  always  disarm  me  with  your  nonsense ;  but 
I  came  here  to  scold  you  severely,  and  I  intend  to  do 
it." 

"Oh,  fiddle,"  scoffed  Dick;  "let's  not  waste  this  de- 
licious tete-a-tete  by  rude  and  crushing  invective.  Let's 
just  have  one  of  our  sociable  chats,  and  then  after  you 
have  gone  you  can  either  write  me  the  scolding,  or  tele- 
phone it  to  central.  They  always  need  one.  Don't  you 
think  this  a  swell  little  office— after  you  get  here?" 

"You  certainly  do  look  prosperous — but  Dick  Ban- 
nington,  I  am  not  going  to  allow  you  to  wheedle  me 
this  time.  This  is  a  very  serious  matter." 

"My  dear  Aunt  Emma — you  know  you  told  me  once 
to  call  you  that ;  I  think  it  was  to  prevent  my  falling 
in  love  with  you— while  I  admit  that  the  condition  of 
the  streets  is  a  very  serious  matter,  I  think  that  your 


334  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

attitude  is  unjust.  I  am  not  the  street  commissioner. 
His  office—" 

"I  am  not  referring  to  the  streets;  but  to  your  en- 
ticing my  silly  niece  into  such  a  neighborhood." 

"I  have  to  see  her,  some  way  or  another.  You  know 
that,"  asserted  Dick. 

"I  know  that  you  have  made  my  life  a  burden  the 
last  three  months.  I  have  tried  to  do  my  duty ;  but  you 
always  manage  to  circumvent  me  by  artifice  or  pure 
brazen  effrontery." 

"Yes,  I  perfectly  agree  with  you,"  assented  Dick 
gravely.  "When  Fate  seems  to  select  two  young  people 
and  make  of  them  a  perfect  match,  it  is  generally  use- 
less to  attempt  to  spoil  the  union — father  or  no  father." 

"Fathers  have  their  rights,  too.  And  you  are  so 
flighty  and  impulsive  that  I  do  not  approve  your  being 
alone  with  a  young  girl." 

"I  know  it  and  I  tried  to  spare  you  worry.  Kate 
should  not  have  told  you;  but  you  never  came  to  any 
harm  through  being  alone  with  me."  Dick  smiled 
reminiscently.  "Do  you  remember  the  very  first  night 
I  came  to  see  you  and  we  walked  in  the  moonlight — 
walked?  we  raced,  and  when  we  came  to  the  swing,  I 
swang  you — swang  does  not  sound  just  right — " 

"It  is  swung,"  said  Miss  Burton,  laughing  softly. 
"Oh,  but  that  really  was  fun!"  Miss  Burton  paused 
and  sobered.  "But  I  have  no  doubt  it  was  terribly  silly ; 
and  then  I  am  not  a  young  girl." 

"Then  I  am  blind  on  the  inside.  Why,  your  heart  is 
so  young  that  you  still  believe  in  fairies.  And  what's  a 
gray  hair  more  or  less,  but  a  certificate  from  old  banker 


FORGING   AHEAD  335 

Time  showing  a  good  year  to  your  credit.  Wrinkles 
and  gray  are  only  tendrils  of  ivy  on  the  outer  wall ;  but 
as  long  as  the  heart  is  young,  youth  still  holds  the 
castle." 

"Ah,  Dick — Dick ;  it  would  take  more  than  wrinkles 
and  gray  hair  to  keep  you  out  of  a  woman's  heart." 
She  paused,  dropped  her  eyes  to  the  carpet,  and  re- 
sumed in  a  low  tone,  "I  had  my  own  love  story  once. 
Perhaps  that  is  why  I  have  not  been  more  strict  with 
Katherine.  He  was  just  such  a  careless,  eager  young 
fellow  as  you  are — and  they  did  not  understand  him, 
they  thought  him  bad  and  wild  just  because  he  had  high 
spirits.  I  yielded  to  the  wishes  of  my  family,  and  he 
went  away  and,  and — but  after  all,  it  was  easier  for 
him  than  for  me." 

Dick  could  not  see  her  eyes,  but  from  the  burning 
tightness  above  his  own,  he  knew  just  how  they  felt, 
and  he  cleared  his  throat,  knowing  no  way  to  express 
his  sympathy. 

"But  this  is  all  nonsense,"  said  Miss  Burton,  shrug- 
ging her  shoulders.  "I  came  here  to  scold  you,  and  I 
intend  to  do  it.  It  was  very,  very  wrong  of  you  to  ask 
her  to  come  here;  and  you  must  never  do  it  again." 

"I'm  afraid  you're  right,"  said  Dick  sadly,  and  then 
added  hopefully:  "but  you'll  come  again  some  time, 
won't  you?" 

"Much  you  care  about  me,  you  broker  of  blarney." 
said  Miss  Burton  rising.  "But  you  are  a  dear  good  boy 
after  all,  and  I  truly  wish  you  well :  and  I  don't  be- 
lieve that  Kate  could  do  better  than  to  take  you." 

"And  you'll  help  us,  won't  you  ?" 


336  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

Miss  Burton  shook  her  head.  "I'm  afraid  I  shall," 
she  confessed. 

"Then  I  wouldn't  care  if  she  had  seven  fathers!" 
cried  Dick,  taking  both  her  hands,  swinging  them  wide 
apart,  and  giving  her  an  unexpected  kiss. 

For  a  moment  Miss  Burton  strove  to  look  indignant, 
and  then  she  smiled  and  gave  Dick  a  box  on  the  ear. 
"I  really  must  hurry  or  I  shall  be  late  for  luncheon," 
she  said,  starting  toward  the  door. 

"Why  not  take  luncheon  with  me?"  asked  Dick, 
opening  the  door. 

"I  should  never  dare  without  a  chaperone,"  replied 
Miss  Burton  as  she  passed  through  the  outer  office.  As 
Dick  opened  the  door  for  her,  she  looked  caressingly 
into  his  eyes — will  the  scientists  ever  be  able  to  classify 
the  great  variety  of  wonderful  rays  which  dart  from 
eye  to  eye?  "Good-by,  you  bad  boy,"  she  said  softly. 

"And  good-by,  you  dear  lady,"  answered  Dick. 

He  returned  to  his  private  office  and  it  seemed  rilled 
with  a  sweet  perfume  and  a  stimulating  warmth.  "She 
is  one  of  the  elect!"  he  said  fervently. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

VICTORY  IN  SIGHT 

sat  in  his  chair  a  few  moments  and  then 
touched  the  bell.  "Ivan,"  he  said  sternly,  as  soon 
as  his  satellite  presented  himself,  "never  let  any  one  else 
present  a  bill  to  me." 

"He  has  been  here  many  times.  We  still  need  ice.  I 
am  sure — " 

"Do  not  bother  me  with  explanations.  Next  time  if 
there  is  any  money  in  the  drawer  pay  him;  if  not,  get 
rid  of  him.  That  is  simple  enough.  That  is  all." 

Ivan  had  scarcely  taken  his  perch  on  the  stool  next  to 
the  telephone  booth,  before  Claude  Lorrain  entered. 
He  looked  superciliously  at  the  three  clerks.  Emil  had 
not  noticed  his  entrance,  Lorrimer  had  and  now  held 
his  head  close  to  his  manuscript,  Ivan  returned  the  gaze 
with  cold  disdain. 

"Is  Dick  in?"  asked  Lorrain. 

"If  you  will  kindly  give  me  your  card,"  replied  Ivan 
distantly,  "I  shall  take  it  in  to  Mr.  Bannington." 

"Oh,  my  soul,  Ivan,  you  make  an  admirable  lackey!" 

Ivan  made  no  response,  but  started  to  sort  the  pile  of 
bills  as  though  no  stranger  were  present. 

"Are  you  going  to  announce  me?"  demanded  Lor- 
rain. 

337 


338  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

"What  name?"  asked  Ivan. 

"This  nonsense  has  gone  far  enough.  Announce 
me." 

"I  have  my  duties  to  attend  to.  If  you  wish  to  see 
Mr.  Bannington,  you  must  give  me  your  name." 

Lorrain  scowled  and  clenched  his  fist.  "Announce 
Mr.  Lorrain,"  he  said  angrily. 

Ivan  announced  him  and  Dick  in  some  surprise  ad- 
mitted him.  Lorrain  showed  signs  of  recent  dissipa- 
tion and  Dick  was  surprised  to  note  a  wave  of  fierce 
resentment  rising  in  his  own  breast. 

"Allow  me  to  congratulate  you  on  the  excellent  dis- 
cipline of  your  staff,"  said  Lorrain. 

"Thanks,"  said  Dick  stiffly.  "I  haven't  seen  much  of 
you  lately." 

"No,  I  had  a  lucky  streak  a  while  back,  and  since 
then  I  have  been  playing  at  business,  the  same  as  your- 
self." 

"Not  much  play  about  mine.   Where  is  your  office?" 

"I  have  not  opened  an  office.  I  merely  buy  and  sell 
through  my  broker." 

"Margins?" 

"Yes." 

"That's  not  business — merely  sport." 

"I  found  it  profitable  as  long  as  Burton  and  I  were 
in  touch ;  but  he  was  too  overbearing,  and  so  I  cut  him 
out.  Now  I  have  some  holdings  which  are  getting 
touched  up  and  I  want  you  to  advance  me  a  little  to 
cover." 

"You  know  exactly  how  I  am  fixed,  Lorrain.  I  really 
am  not  in  a  position  to  lend  you  ten  dollars." 


VICTORY   IN    SIGHT  339 

Lorrain  glanced  at  the  rich  furnishings.  "I  can't 
help  but  think  that  you  are  bluffing,"  he  said  skeptically. 
"There  is  so  much  of  it  done  in  this  uncivilized  coun- 
try. It  is  partially  your  fault,  too.  I  bought  Banning- 
ton  stock  for  a  rally  and  it  is  still  going  down." 

Lorrain  could  not  well  have  chosen  a  keener  method 
of  irritating  Dick,  and  his  black  eyes  danced  as  he  saw 
the  effect  of  his  thrust.  "I  am  sorry ;  but  I  can  not  help 
it,"  said  Dick  with  sincere  simplicity. 

"Well,  I'll  look  a  little  further,"  said  Lorrain  lightly. 
"You  certainly  have  pleasant  offices  here.  I  congratu- 
late you  on  cutting  out  that  socialism  nonsense  and 
going  back  to  your  own  class." 

"I  do  not  consider  it  nonsense  now  any  more  than  I 
ever  did.  It  is  my  circumstances,  not  my  principles 
which  have  changed." 

"Always  the  bluff,  always  the  bluff,"  laughed  Lor- 
rain. "You  Americans  seem  to  think  the  rest  of  us  are 
as  crude  as  yourselves ;  but  my  personal  experience  is 
that  the  principles  keep  close  step  with  the  circum- 
stance. It  is  no  use,  Richard ;  universal  equality  is  all 
very  well  for  the  riff-raff — like  you  have  in  the  outer 
office — but  for  men  of  birth,  bah !" 

Dick  picked  up  some  papers  and  glanced  at  them: 
"You  must  excuse  me,  Lorrain,  but  I  am  extremely 
busy,"  he  said  in  an  even  tone. 

"Certainly,"  answered  Lorrain  as  he  arranged  his 
coat  collar.  "Well,  good-by,  old  chap.  Better  luck 
soon." 

He  strolled  into  the  outer  office,  paused  in  its  center, 
lighted  a  cigarette,  spun  the  match  contemptuously, 


340  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

toward  the  three  clerks  who  had  not  looked  up  and 
walked  jauntily  into  the  hall,  leaving  the  door  open 
behind  him. 

"I  do  not  believe  in  bombs,"  remarked  Ivan  as  he 
descended  from  his  stool  to  close  the  door,  "but  if  that 
man  should  hold  one  in  his  hand  until  it  went  off,  I 
should  say  that  the  bomb  had  acted  in  a  perfectly  jus- 
tifiable manner." 

Just  as  Ivan  reached  the  door,  a  short,  plump  man 
with  quick,  energetic  movements,  entered.  "I  want  to 
see  some  nut-locks,"  he  said  promptly. 

Ivan  stared  at  him.   "Nut-locks  ?"  he  repeated. 

"Certainly,"  answered  the  new-comer.  "Isn't  this  the 
Dickie  Nut-lock  Company?" 

"Yes,  sir,"  replied  Ivan  politely  as  he  began  to  ap- 
prehend that  the  man  was  a  genuine  customer.  "What 
business  are  you  in,  sir  ?" 

"Smith  Pump  Company,  Syracuse — manufacture 
fanning  mills,  incubators,  extension  ladders,  and  all 
forms  of  novelties,"  answered  the  man. 

"Have  you  a  card  ?" 

"I  certainly  have — here  it  is." 

"I  shall  take  it  in  to  the  president,"  said  Ivan.  "Just 
take  a  seat." 

Dick  read  the  card  with  keen  interest.  "I  believe  it 
i?  a  real  customer,  Ivan,"  he  said.  "Business  is  picking 
up."  He  took  his  perfecto  from  its  resting-place, 
lighted  it,  bunched  the  papers  in  front  of  him  and  said : 
"Admit  the  gentleman,  Ivan." 

Dick  waited  until  his  visitor  had  time  to  inspect  the 
room,  then  laid  down  the  paper  he  was  examining,  and 


VICTORY   IN    SIGHT  341 

said  cordially :  "How  do  you  do,  Mr.  Smith  ?  What 
can  I  do  for  you  ?" 

"I  see  you  are  busy,  and  I'll  get  right  down  to  busi- 
ness," said  the  genuine  customer  in  a  strictly  business- 
like tone.  "I  use  a  heap  of  bolts  in  the  course  of  a  year 
and  I  have  lots  of  bother  from  nuts  coming  off,  some- 
times get  caught  in  cogs  and  things,  and  I  have  to  re- 
pair free.  I  want  you  to  make  me  a  price  on  nut-locks." 

Acting  on  general  orders,  Ivan  had  taken  the  "Gen- 
uine Customer  Formula"  into  the  telephone  booth  with 
him,  and  at  this  juncture  he  rang  the  telephone  on 
Dick's  desk. 

"Hello,"  said  Dick.  "Yes.  No,  they  are  not  on  the 
market  just  at  present."  He  turned  to  his  customer: 
"I  shall  keep  your  card  and  communicate  with  you  as 
soon  as  we  catch  up  with  back  orders" — again  the  tele- 
phone— "I  have  prepared  plans  for  that  bridge  already 
— No,  a  cantilever  in  this  position  is  much  better — I  am 
too  busy  to  see  you  to-day — next  Wednesday  morn- 

ing." 

Dick  took  a  book  from  his  desk  and  entered  the  ap- 
pointment. At  the  same  moment,  Mr.  Burton  entered 
the  outer  office  slammed  the  door  after  him  and  said, 
"Can  I  see  Mr.  Bannington  at  once  ?" 

"He  is  engaged  at  present,"  answered  Ivan.  "I  shall 
announce  you  as  soon  as  he  dismisses  his  present  client. 
Take  a  seat,  please." 

Burton  was  excited ;  he  dropped  into  a  chair,  glanced 
at  the  three  clerks,  rose  to  his  feet  and  continued  to 
fret  and  fume. 

Mr.  Smith  had  not  slighted  the  broken  conversation 


342  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

which  he  had  overheard,  and  as  Dick  noted  that  it  had 
increased  his  respect,  he  felt  very  well  pleased  at  his 
foresight  in  making  ample  preparations.  "I  am  very 
sorry,  Mr.  Smith ;  but  just  at  present  my  plant  is  run- 
ning night  and  day  on  a  big  government  contract  and  I 
can  not  fill  any  outside  orders;  but  I  shall  enter  your 
name  as  a  favored  customer  and  supply  you  as  soon  as 
possible." 

"Now,  I'm  a  man  who  wants  to  do  a  thing  the  mo- 
ment I  get  the  idea,  and  I'd  be  willing  to  pay  a  bonus  to 
get  a  few  thousand  as  an  experiment." 

Dick  smiled  blandly.  "I  am  sure,"  he  said  patroniz- 
ingly, "that  I  have  refused  a  larger  bonus  this  very 
day  than  you  could  afford.  I  treat  all  alike.  First  come, 
first  served.  The  amount  of  the  order  is  immaterial." 

"I've  got  some  stiff  competition  and  I  want  to  beat 
'em  to  it,"  argued  Smith. 

"Well,  you  have.  I  shall  have  your  name  entered  and 
you  are  the  first  in  your  line  to  make  application.  Most 
of  my  customers  are  among  the  large  contractors — who 
also  have  stiff  competition." 

"I  suppose  that  settles  it.  Well,  don't  forget  that  I 
am  in  the  market  as  soon  as  you  can  deliver.  Good 
morning." 

"Good  morning,"  said  Dick  as  his  departing  cus- 
tomer held  the  door  open.  "You  shall  have  the  nut- 
locks  as  soon  as  they  are  manufactured." 

Mr.  Burton  did  not  wait  to  be  announced.  He  seized 
the  door  of  the  private  office  while  Smith  was  still 
holding  it  ajar,  and  as  soon  as  Smith  started  across  the 
outer,  he  entered  the  inner  office,  his  face  flushed 


VICTORY   IN    SIGHT  343 

with  anger.    Dick  was  examining  a  blue-print  and  a 
note-book.  He  did  not  look  up. 

"Who  was  that  man?"  demanded  Mr.  Burton. 

Dick  looked  at  his  visitor  in  well  simulated  surprise, 
took  a  calm  draw  at  the  perfecto  and  said:  "I  had 
forgotten  that  you  were  announced.  Have  you  been 
waiting  long?" 

"I  was  not  announced.  Yes,  I've  been  waiting  en- 
tirely too  long.  Who  was  that  man  ?" 

"That  was  one  of  my  customers,"  replied  Dick  po- 
litely. "Won't  you  be  seated?" 

"How  does  it  come  that  he  can  get  nut-locks,  if  I 
can't?" 

By  this  time  Ivan  had  selected  the  proper  formula 
and  seated  himself  in  the  booth.  Before  Dick  could 
answer,  Ivan  rang  him  up. 

"No,"  said  Dick,  in  answer  to  Ivan's  question,  "just 
keep  on  with  those  coat-hangers  for  the  present.  The 
regular  force  is  sufficient  on  nut-locks  for  a  time" — to 
Burton — "I  have  explained  all  this  in  my  letters,  Mr. 
Burton." 

"Your  letters  explain  nothing,"  answered  Burton 
angrily.    "They  are  an  outrage.    I  have  asked  you— 
the  telephone  intruded  with  careless  insistence. 

Dick  leisurely  placed  the  receiver  to  his  ear:  "Hello. 
Oh,  yes.  Now  it  will  take  at  least  a  million  barrels  of 
cement  to  build  that  reservoir— I  refuse  to  assume  any 
responsibility  unless  I  have  complete  control" — con- 
sults date  book — "I  can  see  you  at  ten  A.  M.,  a  week 
from  to-day."  Dick  hung  up  the  receiver  and  turning 
to  Burton  as  though  nothing  had  broken  their  conver- 


344  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

sation,  said:  "I  think  that  my  letters  covered  every- 
thing." 

"They  did  not  give  me  the  slightest  satisfaction," 
replied  Burton,  irritated  beyond  the  diplomatic  stage. 
"You  are  simply  seeking  to  take  advantage  of  me  by  a 
trick;  but  this  is" — bzzzzng  called  the  telephone — 
"Damn  that  telephone!" 

"I  have  sent  an  engineer  down  to  look  over  the  loca- 
tion, and  will  make  an  estimate  as  soon  as  I  get  his 
report,"  telephoned  Dick. 

"Now  this  is  the  situation,"  said  Burton,  controlling 
himself  with  an  effort.  "My  bid  was  the  lowest,  but 
your  uncle  had  specified!  this  fool  nut-lock.  My  bid 
was  accepted  provided  I  use  the  Dickie  lock.  On  the 
night  we  took  dinner  together  at" — bzzzzzzng!  Mr. 
Burton  clenched  his  fists  and  stamped. 

"Don't  bother  me  with  such  trivial  details,"  said 
Dick  impatiently.  "Always  reinforce  cement  at  such  a 
place. — Pray  proceed,  Mr.  Burton." 

"Well,  you  appeared  very  anxious  to  have  your 
lock  receive  recognition,  and  seemed  perfectly  willing 
to  do  your  part.  You  agreed  to  furnish  the  locks  at  an 
advance  of  ten  cents  a  hundred  over  ordinary  taps,  and 
I—" 

"My  dear  sir,  this  is  all  in  writing.  Our  contract 
covers  everything." 

"That  contract  is  a  perfect  farce !  You — "  As  the  bell 
again  interrupted,  Burton  sank  into  a  chair  and  leaned 
his  head  back  wearily. 

"Buy  forty  thousand — buy  in  forty  thousand  lots 
until  the  market  advances  ten  points,  then  sell ;  but  buy 


VICTORY   IN    SIGHT  345 

and  sell  through  different  firms  and  be  careful. — Let's 
see,  you  were  saying?" 

"I  want  to  ask  you  if  you  and  your  uncle  are  to- 
gether in  this  ?" 

"And  I  am  forced  to  remind  you  that  your  question 
is  out  of  order,"  replied  Dick  with  dignity. 

"The  contract  says  that  you  are  to  furnish  nut-locks 
as  fast  as  they  can  be  manufactured.  You  have  only 
furnished  a  few  hundred  and  it  will  take  centuries  to 
finish  at  this  rate." 

"The  contract  says  that  I  shall  furnish  nut-locks  as 
rapidly  as  my  plant  can  manufacture  them,  running 
night  and  day,"  corrected  Dick. 

"Then  let  me  make  them.  I  can  do  it  in  a  week." 

"Oh,  no;  you  would  turn  them  out  rough  and  raw, 
while  the  product  of  my  plant  is  realiy  a  work  of  art" 

"Art,  hell !  I  want  nut-locks.  What  kind  of  a  plant 
have  you  ?" 

"I  have  one  old  man  working  days,  and  another 
working  nights.  They  really  turn  out  beautiful  work. 
Would  you  like  to  see  the  plant — it  is  right  in  this 
building?" 

"You  think  that  you  can  balk  me  with  such  a  game 
as  this?"  shouted  Burton,  rising  to  his  feet  and  glaring 
at  Dick.  "I'll  show  you !  Now  that  I  know  that  you're 
nothing  but  a  trickster,  I'll  give  you  a  taste  of  the  law. 
Your  uncle  is  back  of  this  deal ;  but  I'll  smash  it  like 
an  egg ;  and  as  far  as  your  suit  for  my  daughter's  hand 
is  concerned" — again  the  bell  rang. 

To  the  surprise  of  Burton,  Dick  seized  the  receiver 
and  yelled:  "Stop  this  confounded  ringing,  I  am 


346  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

busy."  Ivan  was  as  much  surprised  as  Mr.  Burton,  as 
a  large  part  of  the  formula  was  still  in  reserve. 

Dick  dashed  off  a  note  ordering  Ivan  to  go  forth  and 
purchase  fish  for  their  next  meal,  touched  the  bell,  and 
when  Ivan  appeared,  said :  "Take  this  note  to  the  vice- 
president,  please,"  and  as  soon  as  Ivan  had  vanished 
into  the  closet,  turned  to  Mr.  Burton  and  said  with 
steely  suavity:  "You  started  to  say  something  about 
your  daughter's  hand,  I  believe." 

"Well  her  hand  is  nothing  to  you,"  answered  Burton, 
who  had  had  time  to  see  the  impropriety  of  his  remark. 
"I  was  prejudiced  against  you  because  of  your  uncle,  I 
despised  you  for  being  a  silly,  unpractical,  college-bred 
theorist,  and  now  I  hate  you  for  your  trickery.  I  would 
sooner  see  her — " 

"You  had  better  not  say  it,"  interrupted  Dick  quietly 
but  in  a  tense  voice.  "When  a  man  loses  his  head,  he 
is  very  likely  to  lose  his  cause  also.  I  was  not  consulted 
in  the  selection  of  uncles.  Before  we're  through  with 
this  fight,  you'll  have  more  modern  ideas  as  to  my  un- 
practical theories.  And  as  for  your  daughter,  I  shall 
win  her,  if  I  can,  through  love — but  hanged  if  I'd  ac- 
cept her  as  a  bribe." 

Things  were  down  to  a  personal  equation  now,  and 
Dick  was  perfectly  at  home.  As  he  looked  into  Mr. 
Burton's  eyes,  that  gentleman  suddenly  took  on  a  sur- 
prising resemblance  to  Tufty  Sheldon.  Like  a  flash, 
his  memorable  combat  and  victory  over  Tufty  came 
back  to  him  and  he  smiled  inwardly  at  the  favorable 
augury.  Burton  was  at  a  disadvantage;  he  preferred 
to  be  entirely  removed  from  tlie  personal,  the  clashing. 


VICTORY   IN   SIGHT  347 

It  was  far  better  to  sit  calmly  in  his  inner  sanctum,  de- 
cide on  the  plan,  and  leave  its  execution  to  men  whose 
welfare  depended  on  their  success. 

"You,  you,  you !"  he  choked,  and  came  to  a  full  stop. 
"You  conceited  puppy,  you !  I'll  have  you  singing  an- 
other tune  within  a  week." 

He  slammed  the  door  and  rushed  through  the  outer 
office,  while  a  wicked  grin  stole  over  Dick's  face.  He 
looked  at  the  perfecto,  which  was  pretty  well  finished 
by  this  time.  "No,"  he  said  with  decision,  "my  nerves 
need  the  rest  of  you  right  this  minute,  and  they  have 
rights  the  same  as  other  folks;"  saying  which  Dick 
thrust  the  cigar  into  his  mouth  and  took  a  deep  refresh- 
ing puff. 

A  few  moments  later,  Ivan  was  admitted  bearing  a 
fish  in  one  hand  and  an  extra  in  the  other.  "Don't  bring 
fish  into  my  private  office,  Mr.  Michaelowski,"  said 
Dick  in  a  tone  of  astonishment  which  immediately 
brought  a  blush  of  repentance  to  Ivan's  eyes. 

"Look  at  the  extra,  sir,"  he  offered  by  way  of  apol- 
ogy and  explanation. 

"Thank  you,"  said  Dick  gently.  "Ivan,  I  doubt  if 
we  have  time  for  a  regular  meal  this  noon — I  don't 
care  for  anything.  Just  fix  some  sandwiches  for  the 
rest  of  you,  and — I  think  that's  all." 

As  soon  as  Ivan  had  left,  Dick  scanned  the  extra 
with  nervous  eagerness.  "This  is  it,"  he  muttered — 
"Market  on  verge  of  collapse,  Bannington  Steel  Plant 
down  to  thirty-eight,  National  Steel  Mills  also  weaken- 
ing, nothing  but  a  prompt  rally  can  prevent  the  great- 
est crash  in  years !" 


348  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

He  folded  the  paper  carefully  and  laid  it  on  his  desk, 
after  which  he  drew  a  curved  finger  across  his  brow. 
"Keep  your  seats,  gentlemen ;  Dickie  still  has  his  mitt 
on  the  steering  wheel.  They  forced  me  to  it,"  he  re- 
sumed after  a  moment's  pause.  "I  was  perfectly  willing 
to  devote  my  young  life  to  suffering  humanity  in  the 
mass ;  but,  with  their  usual  goatly  manners,  the  honey- 
boy  class  could  not  refrain  from  butting  in.  Now,  sim- 
ple duty  compels  me  to  spank  them  all  soundly  and  put 
them  to  bed.  I  wish  it  were  over,  I  wish  it  were  over. 
I  feel  as  though  there  were  forty  thousand  in  the 
grandstand  and  the  ball  and  eleven  padded  vandals 
sailing  straight  toward  me.  I  wouldn't  trade  places 
with  any  one  else  in  the  world — but,  it's  a  terrible 
journey  away  down  to  that  goal  line — and  I  wish  it 
were  over.  I  wonder  if  fitting  a  fellow  for  such  a  strain 
as  this  isn't  what  foot-ball  is  really  for.  It's  a  good 
bet." 

He  rang  the  bell  twice,  waited  and  again  rang  it 
twice.  At  the  third  signal,  Ivan  shook  Emil  to  con- 
sciousness and  sent  him  into  the  private  office,  still  in 
the  daze  of  concentration,  a  closely  filled  page  in  his 
hand. 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  sir ;  but  I  have  only  the  interest 
i  figured  down  three  thousand  years.  The  further  on  it 
is  carried,  the  larger  it  becomes." 

"Just  like  an  Indian  baby,"  interjected  Dick.  "But 
what  I  wanted  to  ask  you  was — what  day  in  what  week 
of  what  year  is  this  ?" 

Emil  stared  a  moment  until  his  brain  adjusted  itself 


VICTORY   IN    SIGHT  349 

to  the  new  focus.    "This  is  Tuesday,  the  fifteenth  of 
October,  nineteen  hundred  and — " 

"\Yas  it  this  very  morning  that  I  heard  you  pining 
because  the  hours  clanked  by  in  dreary  monotony, 
while  you  yearned  for  something  to  happen  ?" 

"Yes  sir ;  you  see  my  mind — " 

"You  are  positive  that  it  was  this  very  morning?" 

"Yes,  sir;  in  matters  of  date,  never  do  I — " 

Dick  suddenly  changed  his  expression  to  one  of 
mock  seriousness,  and  said  fiercely:  "Well,  if  I  ever 
hear  of  your  complaining  of  dullness  again,  I  shall 
provide  the  coroner  with  a  valid  excuse  for  gazing  into 
your  placCd  countenance.  Now  get  back  to  your  perch 
and  hustle  on  with  that  interest.  The  market  is  in  a 
turmoil,  and  nothing  can  settle  it  except  the  informa- 
tion on  which  you  are  at  present  working." 

Emil  gazed  thankfully  into  Dick's  face  for  a  mo- 
ment, and  replied :  "Then  I  shall  destroy  also  what  I 
have  already  done.  If  everything  would  go  to  smash, 
so  much  quicker  would  the  revolution  come." 

"You  wouldn't  say  that  in  an  argument,"  said  Dick, 
smiling.  "You  know  in  your  heart  that  it  is  not  the 
Cancers  of  Industry  on  whom  the  changes  of  social 
evolution  depend ;  but  the  proletariat  itself.  That's  all." 

"You  are  right,"  admitted  Emil,  "my  mind  was  with 
other  matters  occupied." 

"I  merely  want  that  item  to  use  in  an  address,"  said 
Dick. 

"Then  I  shall  shorten  my  method  and  finish  with 
great  speed,"  said  Emil. 


350  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

As  the  door  closed  behind  Emil,  Dick  placed  his  feet 
on  his  desk  and  sighed.  "They  have  helped  me  a  lot," 
he  said.  "They  have  furnished  me  with  loyal  comrade- 
ship, and  also  with  much  innocent  amusement;  but  I 
can  now  see  what  my  uncle  meant  by  the  loneliness  of 
business.  It  is  as  though  I  were  shut  away  in  the  heart 
of  a  battle-ship,  directing  the  action  without  actually 
seeing  the  ships  which  opposed  me  or  the  effect  of  my 
own  shots.  I  want  things  to  be  in  the  open — every- 
thing! The  wars  of  modern  business  are  fought  with 
disappearing  guns,  smokeless  powder,  submarines,  and 
mines.  When  a  flag  is  run  to  the  peak,  it  is  never  the 
flag  of  your  enemy  and  everything  seems  lovely  until 
you  are  blown  up  or  rammed.  I  want  to  fight  in  the 
open,  and  before  I  start  in  to  fight,  I  want  to  send 
around  a  card  stating  my  intentions.  Hang  it,  we're 
not  as  sporty  as  those  jovial  old  iron-clad  fanatics  of 
knight  errantry — but  they  would  stand  about  as  much 
show  against  us  as  a  regiment  of  land  turtles.  I  wish 
something  else  would  happen.  I  am  beginning  to  notice 
an  impulse  impelling  me  to  open  that  window  and 
shriek." 


CHAPTER  XXX 

CROWDED  AT  THE  TURN 

was  not  forced  to  endure  a  long  suspense. 
He  had  hardly  expressed  a  desire  for  something 
to  happen,  before  the  outer  door  was  thrown  open  and 
his  uncle  entered.  Richard  Bannington  stopped,  looked 
at  the  row  of  clerks,  recognized  Lorrimer,  and  gave  a 
grunt  of  contempt. 

Ivan  climbed  down  from  his  stool,  came  up  to  him, 
and  said  respectfully:  "Good  morning,  Mr.  Banning- 
ton ;  is  there  something  I  can  do  for  you?" 

"I  hope  I  don't  look  like  a  man  who  would  be  loaf- 
ing around  in  search  of  a  time-killer  at  this  hour  of  the 
day,"  answered  the  old  man  curtly.  "Where's  that — 
where's  Mr.  Bannington?" 

"I  shall  announce  you." 

Dick's  face  lighted  at  the  announcement,  and  he  did 
not  stand  on  ceremony,  but  hurried  into  the  outer  of- 
fice, his  hand  extended  cordially.  "Step  right  in,  Uncle. 
Glad  to  see  you,"  he  shouted. 

The  uncle  did  not  see  the  extended  hand,  neither  did 
his  own  face  take  on  an  answering  light.  He  followed 
his  nephew  into  the  private  office ;  but  refused  to  take 
a  seat.  For  a  moment  he  glared  at  Dick  without  speak- 
ing, and  then  in  a  low,  cutting  tone,  said:  "Of  all  the 

351 


352  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

low-grade  sneaks,  you  leave  the  slimiest  trail  that  ever 
crossed  mine." 

Dick's  face  instantly  hardened.  "I  have  not  the 
slightest  idea  what  you  are  after;  but  you  are  taking 
the  worst  possible  course  to  get  it." 

"After !  After !  I'd  see  my  hand  wither  and  fall  off 
before  I'd  hold  it  out  to  you  for  a  postage  stamp." 

Dick  chose  the  light  armor  of  supercilious  assurance 
for  the  fray.  "Then  to  what  am  I  indebted  for  the 
honor  of  this  visit?" 

"I  did  not  know  how  black  you  really  were  until 
after  I  had  come  here.  I  thought  you  only  a  headstrong 
fool — I  find  that  you  are  a  crafty,  sneaking  villain." 

"I  am  totally  unaware  of  the  circumstance  which 
caused  your  change  of  opinion;  but  I  infer — " 

"Don't  lie  to  me,  don't  lie  to  me!  I  can  see  every- 
thing, now." 

"Allow  me  to  congratulate  you.  I  am  truly  envious." 

"Listen,"  said  Bannington,  holding  up  his  clenched 
hand  and  speaking  with  deliberate  bitterness,  "if  I 
could  blast  you  with  a  word,  if  I  could  crush  you  with 
a  curse — I'd  do  it.  Yes,  and  I'd  laugh  while  I  was  do- 
ing it." 

"I  congratulate  myself  now,"  replied  Dick  without 
hesitation.  "If  you  could  do  all  those  vocal  stunts,  I'd 
get  out  an  injunction  and  have  you  muzzled.  Really, 
Uncle,  I  haven't  the  faintest  conception  of  what  you 
are  driving  at.  It  sounds  like  rather  classy  melodrama; 
but  I'd  enjoy  it  more  if  I  knew  what  it  meant." 

"You  do  know  what  it  means,  you  scoundrel!  You 
have  ruined  the  Bannington  Steel  Plant — the  business 


CROWDED    AT    THE   TURN  353 

your  own  father  started  with  the  little  fortune  your 
own  mother  brought  him — the  plant  which  I  have  given 
up  my  best  years  to  make  stanch  and  honorable,  and 
which  I  hold  dearer  than  friends  or  health,  or  life  it- 
self!" 

"But  not  dearer  than  your  own  vanity — as  long  as 
we  are  making  comparisons,"  added  Dick  dryly.  "The 
plant  is  failing  because  you  used  up  its  surplus  in  your 
personal  fight  with  Burton.  The  very  reason  which 
prompted  you  to  hamper  yourself  by  not  watering  the 
stock,  was  the  knowledge  that  unless  you  took  mighty 
good  care  to  make  profits,  the  stock-holders  would 
never  stand  for  the  childish  wastefulness  of  such  a 
fight,  and  you  would  be  thrown  into  the  hands  of  a  re- 
ceiver." 

"Much  you  know  about  it !  I've  been  able  to  branch 
out  in  every  direction  without  taking  a  single  risk,  un- 
til this  last  depression.  Burton  has  the  most  ready  capi- 
tal just  at  this  time,  but  he's  sliding,  too.  Mark  my 
words,  he's  more  frightened  than  I  am,  because  his 
organization  is  looser.  No  matter  what  happens,  it's 
your  fault,  all  your  fault — you  scoundrel !" 

"You're  a  great  one  to  squeal!"  said  Dick  in  exas- 
peration. "For  years  you  have  gloated  over  swallow- 
ing smaller  enterprises  than  your  own,  and  now  that 
the  gaff  is  thrown  into  you,  you  howl  like  a  Dervish 
and  scurry  around  hysterically  calling  decent  people 
scoundrels.  Why  don't  you  act  like  a  man  ?" 

"If  it  were  thrown  by  an  enemy,  I  shouldn't  bat  an 
eye,"  answered  Richard  Bannington.  "But  when  it  is 


354  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

thrown  by  my  own  nephew,  by  the  boy  I  trained  to 
fight  at  my  side,  by  the  one  of  all  others — " 

"Oh,  cut  out  this  emotional  stuff !  When  I  left  your 
home  three  months  ago,  you  said  that  I  did  not  have 
sense  enough  to  make  my  own  living  and  that  in  two 
weeks  I  should  come  whining  back  to  you  for  a  crust 
of  bread.  Has  my  whining  disturbed  the  peace  of  your 
neighborhood  much?" 

"I  didn't  know  you  then — I  thought  you  were  hon- 
est. Now  I  find  that  you  have  sold  your  own  flesh  and 
blood  for  gold,  have  dragged  my  name  and  your  fa- 
ther's memory  through  the  mud  of  treachery  and  the 
slime  of  dishonor,  have  used  the  income  your  own 
mother  left  you  to  ruin  the — " 

"Stop,  stop !  I  don't  know  where  on  earth  you  picked 
up  this  sort  of  talk;  but  my  system  won't  stand  much 
more  of  it.  I  demand  an  explanation,  and  if  it  is  pos- 
sible for  you  to  use  modern  business  phrases,  it  will 
place  me  under  obligations  to  you." 

"I  shall  tell  you,  and  it  is  the  last  word  with  you  I 
ever  want  to  have.  I  shall  make  an  assignment  before 
the  week  is  out,  and  then  hide  my  head  for  the  few  re- 
maining days  of  my  life.  You  know  exactly  what  I 
am  going  to  say — you  have  it  written  in  red  across 
your  black  heart." 

Dick  writhed  in  disgust.  "Why  don't  you  read  it 
aloud  then?  I  hope  to  the  Lord  it  is  written  in  com- 
monplace English!" 

"I  hardly  know  what  words  I  am  using,"  said  the  old 
man  with  half  a  groan,  "but  I  know  exactly  what  I 
want  to  say.  You  took  advantage  of  information  which 


CROWDED    AT   THE   TURN  355 

I  gave  you  in  trust.  You  alone  knew  how  shaky  the  old 
plant  was,  and  you  alone  could  have  stabbed  it  in  the 
back,  after  it  had  nursed  you  all  these  years." 

"How?" 

"How !  Why,  by  bribing  my  private  secretary  to  tell 
the  exact  amount  of  the  bids,  by  enticing  me  into  put- 
ting your  fool  nut-locks  into  them,  and  then  by  con- 
spiring with  my  worst  enemy  and  my  most  trusted  em- 
ployee to  crush  me  utterly.  That's  how !" 

"Good  God,  Uncle !  You  are  raving.  I  have  not  be- 
trayed you,  I  have  not — " 

"Don't  lie  to  me !  I'm  not  so  big  a  fool  now  as  I  was 
three  months  ago.  Didn't  I  find  out  Lorrimer's  treach- 
ery this  very  morning,  didn't  I  fire  him,  and  didn't  he 
walk  over  here  as  fast  as  his  legs  could  carry  him  and 
get  a  job,  didn't  he — didn't  he,  I  say  ?" 

Dick  was  dazed  as  he  saw  how  things  looked  from 
his  uncle's  standpoint.  "Yes — yes,  I  see  how  it  ap- 
pears," he  answered,  lowering  his  voice,  "but  even  if  it 
is  true  that  he  sold  out,  wouldn't  you  want  him  where 
you  could  put  your  hand  on  him  if  you  could  find 
enough  proof  for  conviction?" 

Richard  Bannington  looked  at  his  nephew  contempt- 
uously, and  said  slowly,  "You  cold-blooded  scorpion, 
you;  do  you  think  you  can  sting  me  again?  I'm  not 
guessing  at  this,  one  of  your  near  and  dear  fellow  so- 
cialists gave  me  a  tip ;  and  strange  as  it  may  seem,  a  tip 
was  all  I  needed." 

Dick  thought  silently  for  a  moment,  and  then  said 
gently:  "I  can  see  exactly  how  it  looks  to  you;  but, 
Uncle,  I  swear  it  is  all  a  mistake.  There  has  been  no 


356  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

conspiracy.  I  have  played  alone,  absolutely  alone — and 
the  game's  not  played  out  yet." 

"That's  it,  brag  over  your  devilment.  I  don't  see 
why  the  graves  don't  open  and  the  dead  rise  up  to  re- 
venge themselves !" 

"I  can't  tell  you  the  finish  yet,  Uncle,"  said  Dick 
soothingly,  "because  I  don't  know  it  myself;  but  I  ask 
you  not  to  do  anything  rash  and  not  to  say  anything 
more  that  will  be  hard  to  swallow  when  we  come  to 
make  up.  I  am  in  no  game  with  Lorrimer,  I  am  in  no 
game  with  Burton,  I  am — " 

"You  are  an  infernal  liar,  that's  what  you  are! 
Didn't  I  see  Burton  coming  away  from  here  as  I  came 
in?  Didn't  I  have  to  bite  my  lips  and  turn  away  to 
keep  from  springing  on  him  and  killing  him  with  my 
bare  hands  ?  And  isn't  Lorrimer  working  at  your  desk 
this  very  minute?"  He  paused,  raised  his  hand  sol- 
emnly, and  said :  "That's  all,  that's  all — except  I  hope 
that  when  you  are  as  old  as  I  am,  your  own  children— 

"Don't  put  evil  thoughts  in  the  minds  of  the  chil- 
dren, Uncle,"  interrupted  Dick  who  felt  no  bitterness 
toward  the  old  man.  "Just  try  to  keep  calm  until  to- 
morrow, and  don't — " 

"To-morrow  ?  There  will  never  be  a  to-morrow  for 
you  and  me — you  viper!"  He  shook  his  fist  at  Dick, 
opened  the  door,  slammed  it  after  him,  stamped 
through  the  outer  office,  head  up  and  eyes  to  the  front, 
slammed  that  door  after  him,  and  then  began  to  feel 
that  perhaps,  after  all,  he  had  made  a  fool  of  himself. 

"Good  Lord,  what  next?"  sighed  Dick.  "I  feel  like 
Samson  after  he  had  made  his  last  touch-down!" 


CROWDED   AT    THE   TURN  357 

Dick  put  his  hands  into  his  pockets  and  walked  to 
the  window  as  Miss  Burton  entered  the  outer  office, 
her  face  showing  signs  of  nervous  excitement. 

"Is  that  Dick  Bannington  alone  ?"  she  asked. 

Ivan  nodded  mechanically  and  started  to  dismount; 
but  she  did  not  wait.  With  eyes  flashing  and  lips  set, 
she  opened  the  door  of  the  private  office,  slammed  it 
behind  her  and  demanded:  "What  have  you  done 
now?" 

Poor  Dick  was  also  irritated.  "I  haven't  had  a 
chance  to  do  anything  this  morning,  but  hang  on  to  my 
head  while  a  different  variety  of  idiot  tried  to  jerk  it 
off.  What  do  you  want  ?" 

"Don't  you  dare  use  such  a  tone  as  this  with  me !  I 
have  just  left  Katherine,  and  she  has  just  left  her  fa- 
ther; and  he  says  that  you  have  ruined  him,  and  she 
has  gone  to  the  Holland  to  pack  up  and  go  home.  She 
says  that  she  hates  you,  and  after  all  I  have  done  for 
you  both,  I  don't  intend  to  stand  aside  and  see  my 
entire  plan  spoiled ;  so  you  will  have — " 

"My  dear  Miss  Burton,"  cried  Dick,  holding  up  his 
hands  in  despair,  "you  will  have  to  run  that  record 
through  again.  I  missed  half  of  it." 

"What  do  you  mean  by  ruining  her  father  just  at 
this  time?  If  you  had  to  ruin  him,  why  couldn't  you 
have  waited  until  after — " 

"This  is  purely  a  matter  of  business.  Whenever  I  am 
impelled  to  ruin  a  man  I  do  it  when  circumstances  are 
right,  not  any  old  time  it  happens  to  be  convenient." 

"But  why  do  you  wish  to  ruin  people?" 

"I  don't  want  to  ruin  people;  they  forced  it  them' 


358  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

selves.  I  wanted  to  devote  myself  to  the  lowly,  to  lead 
a  simple,  wholesome  life,  but  they  wouldn't  stand  for 
it,  they  had  to  poke  and  prod  and  abuse  me  until  I  lost 
patience.  Now,  they  must  weather  the  storm  the  best 
way  they  can." 

Miss  Burton  seated  herself  and  examined  Dick  crit- 
ically. "I  am  sure  you  are  a  great  disappointment  to 
every  one,  but  I  suppose  you  get  it  honestly.  I  just 
met  your  uncle  on  the  stairs,  and  he  nearly  glowered 
a  hole  through  me.  I  was  honestly  afraid  he  was  going 
to  bite  me.  Well,  I  have  done  all  I  can.  You  have  no 
one  to  blame  but  yourself." 

"But  you  can't  stop,"  expostulated  Dick,  "I  shan't 
allow  it.  I  need  you  more  now  than  ever,  and  I  posi- 
tively insist  that  you  hurry  to  Kate  and  make  her 
change  her  mind." 

"See  here,"  rejoined  Miss  Burton  sharply,  "you  seem 
to  forget  that  you  are  nothing  but  a  boy.  You  may 
have  discovered  some  way  to  ruin  Burton,  and  cause  a 
panic,  but  you'll  not  find  it  so  easy  to  order  me  about 
— and  forty  times  harder  to  change  Kate's  mind." 

"Well,  I'm  honestly  sorry  for  having  spoken  so 
abruptly,"  said  Dick  insiduously,  "but  you  know  that 
you  are  my  best,  and  almost  my  only  ally.  Won't  you 
please  go  and  tell  Kate  that  she  must  not  be  too  hasty? 
I'll  tell  her  all  about  it  as  soon  as  I  can." 

Miss  Burton's  face  softened.  "I  am  convinced  that 
under  Kate's  influence,  you  would  soon  outgrow  your 
recklessness,  and  I  shall  do  what  I  can,  but  I  fear  it 
won't  be  much."  She  rose  and  put  a  hand  on  Dick's 
shoulder.  "Dick,  don't  ruin  anv  one  else.  When  you 


CROWDED    AT   THE   TURN  359 

get  as  old  as  I  am,  you  will  discover  that  it  is  much 
better  to  give  one  man  a  start  than  to  ruin  a  dozen. 
Now,  be  good." 

"I  can't  stand  this  pace  much  longer,"  said  Dick 
wearily,  after  Miss  Burton  had  gone.  "I  ache  all  over." 

After  a  moment's  inaction,  he  decided  to  call  Kate 
on  the  wire.  It  required  much  fuss  and  patience  to  get 
the  right  number,  and  then  he  was  disappointed  to  find 
that  she  was  not  in,  but  on  the  promise  of  a  five-pound 
box  of  chocolates,  the  girl  at  the  Holland  exchange 
promised  to  call  him  as  soon  as  she  could  get  her  on  the 
wire.  "I  suppose  telephone  girls  are  good  for  the  soul, 
but  they're  blamed  heroic  treatment,"  he  muttered  as 
he  hung  up  the  receiver.  Dick  had  arrived  at  the  stage 
where  the  nerves  begin  to  fuse. 

A  knock  came  at  his  door.  "Come  in,"  he  called 
drearily. 

"Mr.  Burton  wishes  to  see  you,  sir,"  said  Ivan, 
evincing  a  suppressed  excitement.  Ivan  was  still  cling- 
ing to  the  hope  that  in  some  occult  way,  socialism  was 
to  result  from  his  employer's  peculiar  campaign.  "I 
think  he  is  ready  to  give  up,"  he  whispered  mysteri- 
ously. 

"There's  an  epidemic  of  it,"  responded  Dick.  "Show 
him  in." 

"How  do  you  do,  Mr.  Burton?  I  suppose  you  have 
called  to  tell  me  what  the  law  can  do  to  me." 

It  was  an  entirely  new  Mr.  Burton.  His  face  was 
gray  and  haggard,  as  faces  which  are  habitually  kept 
to  a  set  expression  of  calm  assurance  become  when 
a  fierce  strain  has  broken  down  the  nerves  which  held 


360  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

them.  "There  is  no  use  beating  about  the  bush,"  he 
answered.  "I  knew  exactly  what  the  law  could  do 
when  I  left.  I  can  put  the  screws  to  you,  all  right,  but 
it  would  take  too  long  and  you  have  as  much  money  to 
fight  as  I  have.  There  is  not  much  in  this  blamed  con- 
tract at  the  best,  but  I  suppose  I  shall  have  to  give  you 
some  kind  of  bonus  even  to  let  me  get  out.  What  is 
it  you  want  ?" 

"I  am  truly  sorry  that  you  did  not  talk  this  way 
earlier.  I  might  have  settled  at  a  much  lower  figure 
a  few  days  ago.  I  am  not  a  bluffer,  and  you  made  a 
mistake  to  treat  me  as  one.  Now,  you  must  answer 
some  questions." 

"I  am  ready  to  answer  fair  ones,  but  I  tell  you  right 
at  the  start  that  as  far  as  my  daughter  is  concerned — 

"Your  daughter  is  not  concerned,"  interrupted  Dick 
sharply.  "You  had  better  take  note  of  the  shape  of 
my  eyebrows,  and  the  way  my  jaw  is  hung."  Dick 
paused  and  the  elder  man,  without  feeling  any  dis- 
position to  smile,  examined  the  strong,  determined  fea- 
tures to  which  his  attention  had  been  called.  It  brought 
him  into  still  closer  touch  with  the  personal  equation 
which  he  instinctively  dreaded.  Taking  a  man's  posi- 
tion away  from  him  is  taking  away  his  armor.  At  no 
age  of  the  world's  history  did  its  heroes  desire  to  go 
naked  into  the  arena  and  challenge  humanity  to  pro- 
duce a  foeman  worthy  of  their  ribs.  A  foeman  worthy 
of  their  steel  was  the  desired  article,  when  steel  was  the 
fashion.  Now  that  the  battle  is  likely  to  be  legal,  it 
is  still  more  comfortable,  for  those  who  can  afford  it. 


CROWDED    AT   THE   TURN  361 

"I  am  not  depending  on  chance,"  resumed  Dick,  as 
soon  as  Mr.  Burton's  expression  suited  him.  "I  am 
not  depending  on  kindness,  I  am  not  depending  on  a 
girl's  intercession.  I  have  blocked  out  a  plan  of  my 
own,  and  what  is  more,  I  am  in  a  position  to  carry  out 
this  plan.  I  know  what  your  bond  is;  I  know  what 
your  time  limitation  is ;  I  know  what  your  capacity  is ; 
and  I  know  what  your  resources  are.  What  I  want  to 
know  now  is,  are  you  back  of  the  bear  movement  which 
is  battering  B.  S.  P.  ?" 

"Good  Lord,  no — National  Mills  is  going  down  with 
it." 

"Very  good.  Now,  then,  from  whom  did  you  get 
your  knowledge  of  my  uncle's  bid?" 

"I  can't  answer  that.    I  absolutely  refuse." 

Dick  raised  his  eyebrows  and  smiled.  "When  you 
feel  like  talking,  call  in  again,"  he  said,  whirling  his 
chair  until  he  faced  his  desk,  and  speaking  lightly 
ovev  his  shoulder.  "I  am  not  under  bond,  you  know ; 
I  can  afford  to  wait.  In  the  meantime,  my  two-man 
plant  is  running  night  and  day." 

"I  am  willing  to  do  all  in  reason,"  said  Mr.  Burton, 
as  Dick  picked  up  a  blue-print,  "but  you  must  admit 
— "  Bzzzzing. 

Dick  took  down  the  receiver.  "Hello,  who  is  this 
— Oh,  good! — Now,  I  have  something  of  the  utmost 
importance,  genuine  importance  this  time,  and  I  must 
see  you  at  once." 

Mr.  Burton  could  not  tell  that  it  was  his  own  daugh- 
ter to  whom  Dick  was  speaking,  but  he  could  tell  that 


362  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

the  gladness  in  Dick's  face  was  not  assumed  and  it 
filled  him  with  an  increased  anxiety. 

"No,  I  can't  tell  you  now — I  really  can't,  I'll  explain 
as  soon  as  I  get  the  chance — No,  don't  hang  up — Oh, 
hang  it !" 

"What  difference  does  it  make  who  I  got  it  from?" 
vouchsafed  Mr.  Burton,  whose  presence  Dick  had  for- 
gotten. "I  paid  twenty  thousand  for  it,  and  that  ought 
to  satisfy  you." 

"It  helps,"  admitted  Dick  calmly.  "I  am  merely 
testing  you.  I  know  from  whom  you  got  it." 

"Who?" 

"If  I  name  him,  will  you  admit  it?" 

"Yes." 

"You  got  it  from  Claude  Lorrain,"  said  Dick. 

"Yes." 

Dick  grinned.  "Did  it  ever  occur  to  you  that  this 
man  came  over  with  me,  and  in  all  probability  is  still 
in  my  employ?" 

Burton  lost  his  self-control.  He  sprang  to  his  feet, 
his  fingers  hooked  as  though  they  would  clutch  Dick's 
throat.  "You  low-lived,  treacherous,  sneaking — " 

"Never  mind,"  said  Dick  gently,  holding  up  his 
hand.  "I  have  heard  all  these  terms  once  before  to- 
day, and  I  am  not  partial  to  them  at  the  best." 

"I  see  it  all  now,"  said  Burton  through  set  teeth. 
"I  have  suspected  it  all  along,  and  now  it  is  as  plain  as 
a  headlight.  You  are  merely  the  cat's-paw  in  the  hand 
of  your  uncle,  but  as  long  as  you  are  going  to  resort 
to—" 

"Come,  come — we  are  business  men ;  let's  talk  in  a 


CROWDED   AT   THE   TURN          363 

business  way.  And  before  you  make  any  threats,  re- 
member that  you  are  a  briber.  You  are  making  all 
the  fuss  and  losing  your  temper,  but  my  advice  would 
be  to  remain  cool,  so  that  there  won't  be  any  unpleas- 
ant mud-puddles  to  jump  across  on  your  way  back. 
We  shall  probably  retrace  this  road  soon." 

"Well,  what  is  your  proposition?"  asked  Mr.  Bur- 
ton recovering  himself. 

"What  is  the  most  you  can  make  out  of  this  deal?" 

"There's  mighty  little  in  it.  It's  a  small  contract, 
the  Bannington  bid  was  rock-bottom  and  I  had  to  go 
thirty  thousand  less,  taking  the — " 

"Don't  bother  to  make  out  a  case,"  said  Dick.  "I 
know  some  of  the  other  contracts  which  hinge  on  this 
one,  and  what  it  really  means  to  you.  What  I  want  to 
know  is,  what  will  you  make  out  of  this  one  contract?" 

"I  suppose  we'll  make  about  three  hundred  thou- 
sand/' answered  Burton  sullenly. 

"That's  better.  You  ought  to  be  a  little  more  care- 
ful, Mr.  Burton.  I'm  liable  to  lose  my  patience  at 
any  moment  and  squeeze  you  down  to  the  gravy.  Now, 
then,  if  you  have  to  forfeit  your  bond  at  this  time, 
you  become  that  instant  a  full-blown  down-and-outer 
and  I  can  make  you  slip  the  forfeit." 

"Well,  what  is  your  proposition?  Good  Lord,  man, 
it  is  getting  late  and  things  are  all  in  a  mess !" 

"My  things  are  in  very  good  order.  What  is  the 
cause  of  the  enmity  between  yourself  and  my  uncle?" 

"I  refuse  to  answer,"  said  Burton,  springing  to  his 
feet  and  speaking  with  finality.  "That  is  a  purely  per- 
sonal question." 


364  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

"You  are  right,"  admitted  Dick.  "Then,  from  a 
business  standpoint,  you  would  be  willing  to  merge 
with  the  Bannington  Steel  Mills.  Maybe  not  openly, 
but  at  least — " 

"Oh  course  I  should,"  broke  in  Burton  heartily. 
"I'm  not  a  fool.  Big  as  we  both  are,  we  have  rammed 
our  heads  together  until  we  are  both  likely  to  be  swept 
into  the  scrap-heap  at  the  same  time.  If  you  were  at 
the  head  of  the  Bannington  Plant,  though,  it  would 
be  a  heap  easier.  I'll  own  up  that  your  conduct  to-day 
has  opened  my  eyes  to  a  lot  of  facts.  I  hate  to  say  it, 
but  I'm  losing  my  grip,  the  game  is  outgrowing  me — 
it  takes  young  blood  to  fight.  If  it  were  you  instead 
of  your  uncle,  I'd  say  merge  to-morrow,  and  you  be 
president  of  the  new  concern,  and,  furthermore,  I'd 
be  willing  to  have  you  for  a  son  of  my  own." 

"Well,  thank  you  all  around.  Now  you  just  step 
out  for  fifteen  minutes  and  find  out  how  things  are 
going  over  on  'Change.  This  day  is  about  all  in,  and 
I  have  a  lot  of  'phoning  to  do,  myself.  Before  you 
return,  call  me  up  by  wire  and  I'll  see  if  I'm  ready  for 
you." 

Burton  paused  at  the  door  and  looked  back.  Dick 
had  spoken  with  a  shade  more  reserve  than  he  liked. 
"I  am  able  to  'take  my  medicine,  Bannington,"  he  said 
a  little  diffidently,  "but  you  have  hinted  at  hope.  You 
won't  turn  me  down,  will  you?" 

"I  play  to  win.  I  stack  the  cards  when  it  is  neces- 
sary, but  I  am  not  the  enemy  of  any  single  man — 
least  of  all,  you.  Still  you  have  to  get  out  of  this 
scrape  through  my  door." 


CROWDED   AT    THE   TURN          365 

As  soon  as  Burton  had  withdrawn,  Dick  called  up  the 
Holland,  told  the  exchange  girl  that  she  had  won  the 
chocolates,  and  requested  her  to  put  Kate  on  the  wire 
again  as  soon  as  possible.  When  she  informed  him 
after  a  short  delay  that  Miss  Burton  had  again  left 
the  hotel,  Dick  slowly  hung  up  the  receiver  and  stared 
resentfully  at  it  for  a  moment.  Then  with  a  sigh,  he 
called  his  uncle.  At  first  that  gentleman  was  frigid,  but 
in  the  end  he  promised  to  hasten  to  Dick's  office  as 
promptly  as  possible. 

"I  feel  as  though  a  jig-saw  were  running  in  the  back 
of  my  head,"  said  Dick,  clasping  that  article  and  lean- 
ing his  elbows  on  the  desk. 

All  the  different  scenes  of  the  morning  crowded 
about  him  until  he  scarcely  knew  whether  he  was  wak- 
ing or  dreaming.  The  threads  of  so  many  different 
fates  were  held  in  his  grasp  that  they  seemed  a  hope- 
less tangle,  and  for  the  first  time  he  began  to  doubt 
his  ability  to  manipulate  them.  For  breakfast  he  had 
only  had  sufficient  courage  to  eat  two  of  Ivan's  leathery 
flap-jacks,  and  he  had  eaten  nothing  since. 

"I  haven't  size  enough,"  he  muttered  with  honest 
pessimism.  "My  plan  was  all  right,  but  I'm  too  much 
of  a  light-weight  to  carry  it  out." 

His  arms  sank  to  a  heap  on  the  desk,  his  head  rested  , 
on  them,  and  for  a  space  the  active  mind  was  as  a 
motor  from  which  the  current  has  been  turned. 


CHAPTER    XXXI 

THE  STRUGGLE  FOR  THE  WHEEL 

THE  door  to  the  outer  office  opened,   and   Kate 
entered,  her  face  flushed  from  the  haste  in  which 
she  had  come  and  the  mingled  emotions  which  beset 
her. 
*    "Is  Mr.  Bannington  unengaged?"  she  asked. 

Ivan  nodded,  but  having  grown  accustomed  to  hav- 
ing his  sacred  office  treated  with  disdain,  made  only  a 
feeble  pretense  of  dismounting  from  his  stool. 

Kate  crossed  the  office  hurriedly  and  knocked. 
Dick  aroused  himself  with  an  effort  and  was  at  first 
tempted  to  escape  through  the  closet,  but  the  few 
moments  of  absolute  relaxation  had  given  him  new 
force  and  he  straightened  in  his  chair,  and  called : 
"Come  in." 

Kate  entered  and  closed  the  door  behind  her.  "Why 
did  you  wish  to  see  me?"  she  said  with  reserve. 

"Because  I'm  dog  tired  and  you  are  the  most  re- 
freshing sight  in  all  the — " 

"Please  stop.  Under  the  circumstances  I  consider 
your  flippancy  to  be  a  direct  insult.  You  have  deliber- 
ately determined  to  ruin  my  father — he  told  me  so  less 
than  an  hour  ago,  and  it  is  killing  him.  I  did  not 
come  here  to  listen  to  flattery.  I  came  to  see — to  see 
— Why  did  you  wish  to  see  me?  Tell  me  the  truth." 

366 


THE    STRUGGLE  367 

"I  am  not  your  father's  enemy,"  answered  Dick 
sincerely.  "He  is  not  ruined  yet,  and  if  he  is,  it  will 
be  through  his  own  obstinacy." 

The  girl  looked  at  him  proudly,  for  a  moment  the 
expression  wavered  toward  anger,  and  then  it  settled 
to  wistful  disappointment.  "This  is  what  I  feared," 
she  said  in  a  voice  which  refused  to  be  quite  steady. 
"Oh,  Dick,  Dick,  I  trusted  you  so — I  thought  you  so 
chivalrous  and  noble  under  your  careless  manner. 
Dick,  I  did  love  and  respect  you,  but  I  never  can 
again." 

"But  I'm  not  responsible  for  your  father's  obsti- 
nacy," exclaimed  Dick  in  amazement. 

"I  think  you  understand  what  I  mean.  It  is  the 
smallness  of  your  nature,  the  craftiness,  the — " 

"Go  right  ahead,"  encouraged  Dick,  "say  just  as 
mean  things  as  you  can  think  up  if  it  will  be  the  slight- 
est relief  to  you.  My  spirit  is  bruised  to  a  navy  blue, 
so  that  if  you  wish  to  unload  any  little  gobs  of  hatred 
— I'm  that  entire  department.  You  started  out  by  say- 
ing, This  is  what  I  feared.'  What  is  that  you  feared  ?" 

The  girl  hesitated.  "Make  it  as  plain  as  you  can," 
begged  Dick,  "and  if  you  can  draw  a  picture  to  illus- 
trate it,  that  will  help  a  lot.  My  brain  was  only  a  lump 
of  chalk  to  begin  with,  and  this  day's  business  has 
started  it  to  crumbling." 

"I  am  ashamed  to  put  it  into  words." 

"I'm  too  weak  to  do  any  mind-reading.  I  reckon 
you'll  have  to  say  it." 

Kate  turned  her  face  away  from  him.  "I  hate  even 
to  think  it,"  she  said  in  a  low  tone,  "but  I  am  sure  that 


368  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

you  have  made  my  hand  the  price  of  my  father's 
ambition.  Dick,  you  have  broken  my  heart!" 

Dick  had  risen  as  soon  as  he  had  observed  his  vis- 
itor's identity,  but  when  she  had  joined  the  others  in 
attacking  him,  he  had  seated  himself  defiantly.  Now 
he  rose  and  took  her  face  very  slowly  and  very  gently 
between  his  hands.  Turning  it  toward  his  own,  he 
gazed  into  it  a  long  moment  and  said  very  soberly: 
"Kate,  I  should  be  glad  to  have  you  disappointed  in 
me,  if  I  were  such  a  cad,  but,  thank  Heaven,  I  am  not. 
I  have  not  thought  of  your  hand  in  this  deal — not 
for  a  moment.  I  am  willing  to  work  for  you  all  my 
life,  but  if  you  could  be  bought — no  matter  at  what 
price — Kate,  I  couldn't  love  you  then." 

Her  face  turned  rosy  beneath  his  gaze,  and  her 
hands  stole  upward  and  pressed  his  hands.  "And  you 
will  not  ruin  my  father?"  she  asked. 

"Your  father  must  protect  himself,"  replied  Dick 
firmly,  as  he  gently  withdrew  his  hands.  "I  did  not 
bargain  with  him  for  you ;  you  must  not  use  your  love 
to  save  him.  Love  is  love,  and  we  must  keep  it  pure, 
no  matter  how  loudly  the  dollars  howl  as  I  drive  them 
into  the  open." 

Kate  backed  away  from  him  slowly.  "Then,  I 
must  leave  you.  I  do  not  think  that  I  could  ever  trust 
you  again.  Dick,  you  frighten  me — and  I  never  was 
afraid  of  you  before."  She  paused  at  the  door  and 
then  hurried  back  to  him.  "But  oh,  Dick,"  she  said 
feelingly,  "for  the  sake  of  all  that  has  passed  between 
us,  do  not  be  too  hard  on  my  father." 

"Your  father  must  play  his  own  hand  alone,"  said 


THE    STRUGGLE  369 

Dick  solemnly,  and  the  girl  closed  the  door  without 
replying. 

Dick  took  a  few  strides,  and  as  a  new  light  came 
into  his  face,  he  paused  and  exclaimed :  "She  is  afraid 
of  me — she  said  it  herself!  This  morning  I  felt  like 
a  picture-nail  when  she  looked  at  me.  Great  Scott, 
v/hat  a  day  this  has  been !" 

A  moment  later  when  Richard  Bannington  pre- 
sented himself,  he  merely  questioned  Ivan  with  his 
eyes  and  hurried  into  the  private  office.  "Well  ?  What 
now  ?"  he  demanded. 

"Uncle,  you  said  this  morning  that  you  would  be 
willing  to  make  almost  any  sacrifice  to  save  the  plant. 
Burton  is  willing  to  merge,  or  if  you  prefer,  a  mutual 
understanding  which  will  not  affect  your  apparent 
independence,  can  be  arranged.  It  all  depends  on  your 
vanity." 

"Dick,  I'm  all  in,"  admitted  the  old  man  brokenly. 
"This  morning,  I  could  have  killed  you,  but  after  I 
left  it  came  over  me  that  after  all  you  were  my  nephew. 
I  can't  hate  you  steadily,  Dick.  I  work  up  as  good 
a  hate  as  any  one  could,  but  it  won't  stick.  You've 
been  meaner  than  dirt,  and  I  know  it's  my  duty  to  hate 
you,  but  way  down  deep  in  my  heart  the  old  love  I 
had  for  you  is  still  fooling  around,  and  it  spoils  every- 
thing." The  old  man  paused,  swallowed,  and  then  said 
fiercely:  "And  that  shows  whether  or  not  I'm  vain, 
you  infernal  scamp!" 

"That's  the  ticket.  Now,  will  you  be  white  all  the 
way  through,  and  merge  with  Burton  ?  That  was  your 
original  scheme,  you  know." 


370  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

"No,  I'll  not  merge  with  Burton,"  said  Bannington 
with  a  decisive  gesture.  "Hang  Burton!  I  don't  love 
Burton.  Did  he  propose  it  to  you  ?" 

"He  did." 

"Then,  he  is  hard  hit,  himself!"  cried  the  old  man, 
striking  his  palm  with  his  fist.  "The  market  rallied  a 
few  points  just  before  I  came  over.  I  can  make  another 
plunge  and  wipe  him  off  the  slate.  His  raft  won't 
stand  a  storm  like  the  old  Bannington  Plant,  which  is 
built  like  a  ship.  Dick,  it's  not  too  late  yet,  come  in 
with  me  and  we'll  stand  on  Burton's  neck  and  shake 
hands." 

"It  sounds  inviting,  Uncle,  but  I  have  to  decline. 
The  fact  of  the  matter  is,  that  I  have  both  you  and 
Burton  in  the  same  fix.  I  can  wipe  you  both  off  the 
slate,  but  I  don't  want  to." 

"Is  that  straight,  Dick — you  are  not  in  with  Burton, 
but  are  fighting  him  as  well  as  me?"  The  weariness 
which  had  cloaked  the  old  man  when  he  entered,  had 
fallen  from  him,  and  his  keen  eyes  were  shining  with 
old-time  vigor. 

"I  am  not  in  with  Burton,"  answered  Dick  quietly, 
"but  I  am  fighting  no  one.  I  have  simply  tied  one  rope 
to  Burton's  neck  and  your  waist,  and  another  rope  to 
your  neck  and  Burton's  waist.  Now,  all  I  need  is  to 
give  you  each  a  jab,  and  you  will  jerk  off  each  other's 
heads." 

The  old  man  looked  at  his  nephew  for  a  moment. 
"Say,  Dick,"  he  asked  in  a  quizzical  voice,  "who  the 
devil  are  you,  anyway — Mephistopheles  ?" 

"There  is  nothing  remarkable  in  what  I  have  done," 


THE    STRUGGLE  37I 

replied  Dick  with  becoming  modesty.  "Business  is 
only  a  game.  The  great  trouble  with  most  young 
fellows  is  that  they  get  the  shivers  at  the  size  of  the 
stakes,  and  buck-fever  at  the  noble  bluffs  their  elders 
put  up.  You  remember  that  marble  game  I  invented 
when  I  was  a  kid?  Well,  I'm  just  playing  it  over, 
only  I'm  stringing  the  two  biggest  steel  plants  in  the 
country  instead  of  Jim  Haskel  and  Buddy  Sanderson." 
"You've  hit  the  nail  on  the  head,  boy.  It  is  only  a 
game,  but  it  is  cruel  hard  when  it  sets  against  you.  I've 
lost  my  grip,  and  when  you  lose  your  grip — just  for 
a  moment — you're  done  for.  Dick,  will  you  take  over 
the  plant  and  run  it?" 

"No,  I  don't  want  to  do  that,  Uncle.  I  merely 
wanted  to  force  you  and  Burton  into  a  merger,  and 
start  a  little  business  of  my  own  which  would  bring  in 
an  income  of  twenty  or  thirty  thousand  a  year — with- 
out too  much  bother — but  I  did  not  have  the  slightest- 
desire  to  swing  a  tremendous  thing  like  the  merger 
would  be." 

"Did  not  have — how  about  it  now?"  asked  Banning- 
tcn  eagerly. 

Dick  stood  in  the  center  of  his  office,  feet  planted 
firmly,  head  and  shoulders  thrown  back,  hands  clenched 
at  his  side,  and  his  eyes  flashing.  "Oh,  Uncle,  it's 
great !"  he  said  enthusiastically.  "To  think  of  all  the 
mighty  forces  a  man  can  focus  on  one  point  and  fairly 
melt  it,  or  focus  on  another  and  weld  it;  to  feel  the 
concentrated  strength  of  thousands  center  in  one's 
shoulders  and  wait  calmly  for  the  bidding  of  one's 
brain!  Oh,  Uncle,  it's  more  fun  that  a  speckled  pig!" 


372  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

The  old  man's  heavy  hand  came  down  on  his 
nephew's  shoulder  with  a  resounding  slap,,  "You've 
caught  it !"  he  cried.  "That's  the  secret.  That's  why  we 
fling  youth  and  health  and  pleasure  and  leisure  and — 
and  sometimes  more,  into  the  furnace.  It's  not  for  the 
filthy  dollars!  Why,  Dick,  if  I'd  been  paid  a  salary 
four  times  bigger  than  my  income,  you  couldn't  have 
hired  me  to  do  the  work  I  have  done.  That's  where 
your  socialism  myth  goes  to  smash!  A  man,  a  real 
man,  don't  want  to  burrow  like  a  worm  in  the  ground, 
he  wants  to  fight  for  the  biggest  thing  he  can  see  and 
when  he  wins  it,  he  wants  to  call  it  his  own. 

"We  don't  want  the  safe  thing,  the  easy  thing.  We 
want  the  hard  road  and  plenty  of  opposition.  We're 
a  different  breed,  boy;  we're  the  same  strain  that 
marched  to  the  crusades,  that  sailed  the  unknown  seas, 
that  tore  the  wilderness  from  the  grasp  of  the  savage, 
and  turned  it  into  a  garden.  We're  a  tough  proposition 
to  combat,  Dick,  but  those  who  follow  after  can  lie 
down  and  sleep  with  their  doors  unlocked.  Why, 
hang  it,  boy,  now  that  I  see  that  you  have  gumption 
enough  to  be  practical,  I  don't  mind  sitting  up  until 
three  o'clock  every  morning,  talking  theories  with 
you." 

As  the  old  man's  fervor  increased,  Dick  began  to 
cool.  "You  still  look  at  everything  from  your  side," 
he  said  quietly.  "If  you  love  opposition  and  hard 
roads,  why  do  you  stifle  competition  and  establish 
monopoly  at  the  first  opportunity  ?  It  is  true  that  you 
are  industrial  pioneers,  and  as  such  are  entitled  to 
respect,  but  you  are  not  entitled  to  the  privilege  of 


THE    STRUGGLE  373 

taxing  all  succeeding  generations.  As  you  say,  busi- 
ness is  only  a  game — you  fellows  do  all  the  playing 
and  the  great  mass  who  produce  actual  wealth  do  all 
the  paying." 

"Don't  sink  back  to  that  stuff,  Dick,"  said  the  old 
man  testily.  "There  are  plenty  of  idle  fellows  to 
wrangle  about  socialism,  but  you  have  your  own  work 
cut  out.  The  laboring  man  doesn't  care  a  hang  about 
socialism,  so  why  should  you.  I  am  perfectly  willing 
to  let  the  preachers  and  the  lawyers  and  the  doctors 
and  the  writers  be  socialists.  It  will  never  amount 
to  anything  until  the  millions  who  work  at  day  wages 
take  it  up  and  they  don't  bother  their  heads  about  it. 
You  come  in  with  me  and  live  your  own  life." 

"Listen,  Uncle;  I  am  convinced  that  the  trust  idea 
is  essential  to  social  evolution,  and  that  the  sooner  it 
is  applied  to  all  industries,  the  sooner  will  come  the 
great  age  of  freedom.  That  is  why  I  encourage  it ; 
none  of  my  views  has  changed.  Will  you,  or  will 
you  not  merge  with  Burton?" 

"I  wish  Burton  were  in  Ballyhack!"  exclaimed  the 
old  man  angrily.  "I  want  to  fight  him,  I  want  you 
to  help  fight  him,  I  want  to  wipe  his  name  out  of  the 
directory — I  hate  him.  No,  I  won't  merge." 

"Then  you  go  and  beat  your  head  against  the  wall 
a  while  longer,"  cried  Dick  with  answering  anger. 
"You  scheme  for  a  merger,  you  pick  out  a  wife  for 
me,  you  turn  me  adrift,  I  agree  to  marry  the  girl  of 
your  choice,  I  find  a  merger  and  bring  it  to  you  on  a 
silver  platter,  you  own  up  that  you  are  whipped,  and 
yet  you  won't  merge.  Oh,  you  are  too  obstinate  to 


374  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

reason  with.  If  you  don't  want  chickens,  what  do 
you  set  hens'  eggs  for?" 

The  controversy  had  stimulated  Bannington's  circu- 
lation, and  he  now  felt  as  fit  as  ever.  "You  young  whip- 
per-snapper," he  shouted,  shaking  his  finger  in  Dick's 
face,  "you  can't  talk  to  me  this  way.  You  think  I'm 
whipped  ?  I'm  not.  Ten  minutes  ago  I  feared  I  might 
be,  but  I  never  was  before,  and  I'm  not  now.  You 
think  that  you  can  boss  me  around  and  ram  Burton 
down  my  throat  ?  Bah !  I'll  cut  you  out  of  it  entirely 
and  hammer  Burton  until  he  comes  to  the  scratch. 
Do  you  want  to  know  how?  I'll  tell  you  how.  You 
gave  me  the  right  to  make  your  fool  nut-locks  for  this 
contract.  I'll  make  'em,  I'll  sell  'em  to  Burton  for  half 
his  profits  for  the  next  year,  and  by  the  time  that  you 
wake  up  out  of  your  dream,  you'll  look  like  a  bubble 
that's  been  hit  by  a  comet." 

The  old  man  gave  his  head  a  toss  and  stamped  out  of 
the  office,  leaving  Dick  holding  his  chin  in  his  hand, 
and  looking  weakly  at  the  carpet.  He  stood  thus  for 
several  minutes  his  forehead  wrinkling. 

"It  looks  to  me,"  he  said  slowly,  "as  though  I  had 
forgotten  that  there  was  a  joker  in  this  deck." 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

AN  EXPLOSION 

THERE  used  to  be  a  game,  or  rather  a  pastime, 
called  "bat-ball."  It  was  played  with  a  large  rub- 
ber ball,  board  bats,  and  by  as  many  boys  as  the  com- 
munity could  furnish  and  the  locality  accommodate. 
The  object  was  to  keep  the  ball  in  the  air,  and  which- 
ever boy  was  responsible  for  allowing  it  to  descend  to 
earth  was  relegated  to  the  side  lines.  As  there  was  no 
umpire,  there  was  considerable  discussion  among  the 
players — but  the  ball,  who  really  had  the  chief  cause 
for  complaint,  was  too  busy  and  too  dazed  to  utter  a 
single  word  of  protest.  Dick  was  now  in  a  position  to 
sympathize  with  the  ball. 

While  he  was  still  trying  to  understand  how  it  had 
happened  that  his  hand  was  jerked  from  the  steering 
wheel,  and  that  he  now  found  himself  clinging  des- 
perately to  the  rear  axle,  he  perceived  Miss  Burton  clos- 
ing the  door  behind  her  and  advancing  toward  him 
menacingly. 

"Now,  you've  done  it,"  she  remarked  with  heavy 
and  direct  accusation. 

"I  suppose  so,"  admitted  Dick,  his  mind  still  occu- 
pied with  the  clever  manner  in  which  his  uncle  had  slid 
the  high  card  from  his  sleeve  and  taken  all  the  tricks 

375 


373  THE   STEERING   WHEEL 

in  sight.  "I  can't  quite  see  how  to  get  control  of  the 
lead  again,  but  I'll  figure  it  out  after  a  while." 
,  "She  is  in  an  awful  condition,"  said  Miss  Burton, 
who  sometimes  availed  herself  of  the  feminine  prerog- 
ative of  totally  ignoring  another's  remarks,  and  con- 
tinuing the  line  of  her  own  argument,  unweakened  by 
the  influence  of  sentiments  in  opposition.  "She  has 
got  to  that  stage  where  she  respects  you,  and  that  is 
generally  fatal  to  love." 

"What  are  you  talking  about?"  asked  Dick,  trying 
to  fix  his  attention  on  what  Miss  Burton  was  saying. 

"Naturally,  I  am  talking  about  Kate,"  replied  Miss 
Burton  with  dignified  sarcasm.  "What  are  you  think- 
ing about?  But  no  matter.  Of  course  I  came  with  her 
through  these  wretched  streets,  and  waited  in  a  drug- 
store— some  way,  drug-stores  always  seem  respectable 
no  matter  where  you  find  them.  Well,  when  she  came 
back,  she  was  in  one  of  those  ethereal  moods  where  a 
woman  says  that  she  can  never  love  again,  but  will 
always  respect,  and  treasure  the  memory,  and  all  that 
sort  of  talk.  Now,  this  is  all  nonsense — a  woman  can 
always  love  again.  It's  her  nature  to  love ;  she  begins 
by  loving  a  doll,  and  ends  by  loving  an  ideal — both 
rather  unsatisfactory  makeshifts — but  in  the  meantime 
she  loves  real  live  men,  until  she  finds  them  out.  You 
have  been  dilly-dallying  and  shilly-shallying  with  her 
until  she  thinks  that  you  are  a  namby-pamby.  Now, 
I  know  that  you  are  not  a  namby-pamby" — Dick  shook 
his  head  with  sober  sincerity — "but  she  doesn't.  You 
must  be  firm  with  her,  you  must  not  let  her  do  all  the 
talking.  You  talk  fast  enough  with  other  people,  but 


AN   EXPLOSION  377 

with  her  you  just  sit  and  listen,  as  though  what  she 
said  was  really  worth  while.  Don't  interrupt  me,  I 
can  only  stay  a  second.  Assert  yourself,  you  always 
do  with  other  people.  I  have  generally  found  you  to 
be  overbearing.  I  can't  stay  another  second,  she  is 
waiting  at  the  drug-store  until  I  get  back.  I  had  to 
invent  an  idiotic  excuse,  all  for  your  sake.  I  am  going 
back  to  her  now,  and  I  am  going  to  bring  her  here  by 
some  hook  or  crook.  When  she  comes,  you  be  your 
natural  self — and  there  is  more  brute  than  angel  in 
that,  I'll  warrant.  Make  her  do  whatever  you  wish, 
and  whatever  she  does  not  wish,  and  that  will  make  her 
love  you  again.  This  is  you  last  chance — I  haven't 
time  to  listen  to  a  word — don't  you  dare  to  fail  me." 

As  the  door  closed,  Dick  sank  heavily  into  his  desk 
chair.  "I  wonder  if  some  one  really  was  in  here,  or 
whether  I  am  beginning  to  see  things?"  he  asked  him- 
self doubtfully,  but  her  suggestions  began  to  interest 
him,  and  soon  his  mind  was  fully  occupied  with  his 
love  affair  and  the  possible  effect  of  following  Miss 
Burton's  advice.  His  mind  was  so  fully  occupied  in 
fact,  that  a  few  moments  later,  when  Mr.  Burton 
entered,  Dick  looked  at  him  in  unaffected  surprise. 

"I  have  been  thinking  it  over,"  said  Burton  briskly, 
"and  I  find  that  it  will  be  impossible  for  me  to  merge 
with  your  uncle — we  have  been  enemies  too  long." 

Mr.  Richard  Bannington  had  entered  the  outer  office, 
had  been  stopped  by  Ivan,  and  now  just  as  Dick 
stumbled  over  an  attempt  to  invent  a  remark  which 
would  impress  Burton,  Ivan  knocked  on  the  door. 

"Come  in,"  called  Dick  in  relief. 


378  THE   STEERING   WHEEL 

Ivan  entered,  closed  the  door,  and  said,  "Mr.  Rich- 
ard Bannington,  sir." 

Burton  rushed  over  to  the  door  marked  "Vice-Presi- 
dent," and  which  opened  into  the  closet.  "This  is  a 
put-up  job,"  he  said  angrily,  as  he  opened  the  door  a 
few  inches  and  turned  to  face  Dick,  "but  I  refuse  to 
meet  him.  I  shall  just  step  into  this  room,  I  suppose  it 
opens  into — " 

"Don't  go  in  there,"  cried  Dick,  running  over  to  the 
door,  slamming  it,  and  standing  in  front  of  it.  "The 
vice-president  has  not  had  any  lunch  yet,  and  it  al- 
ways makes  him  surly  to  miss  his  lunch." 

Mr.  Burton  was  outraged.  "I  must  say,  Mr.  Ban- 
nington," he  snapped,  "that  this  firm  has  the  most  un- 
usual officials  I  have  ever  heard  of." 

"I  know  it,  I  know  it,"  admitted  Dick,  "but  just  take 
a  seat.  Ivan,  tell  my  uncle  that  I  shall  see  him  in  a 
few  minutes.  Now,  then,  Mr.  Burton,  I  am  ready  to 
listen  to  the  reasons  which  prompted  your  change  of 
base." 

When  Richard  Bannington  received  the  news  that 
his  nephew  was  conferring  with  the  president  of  the 
National  Steel  Mills,  he  whirled  on  his  heel  and  stalked 
out  of  the  office,  his  face  twisted  into  a  scowl. 

"I  have  found  a  way  to  get  around  our  contract," 
said  Mr.  Burton  confidently.  "I  admit  it  is  liable  to 
cause  a  little  delay  and  may  probably  cost  me  a  lot  of 
money  in  the  end,  but  it  will  cinch  this  present  govern- 
ment deal,  put  Bannington  Mills  out  of  business,  and 
end  your  career  with  a  smash." 

"Must  be  rather  a  clever  scheme,"  was  Dick's  dry 


AN   EXPLOSION  379 

comment.    He  knew  that  much  of  Burton's  confidence 
was  assumed,  and  resolved  to  meet  bluff  with  bluff. 
That  peculiar  condition  known  in  the  vernacular  as 
"second  wind"  had  come  to  him,  as  often  in  his  foot- 
ball career,  it  had  come  in  time  to  change  defeat  into 
victory.     He  looked  Burton  calmly  between  the  eyes. 
"Well,"  he  resumed,  "I  have  done  the  best  I  could  for 
both  of  you.     My  uncle  also  refuses  to  merge.    The 
trust  idea  is  the  only  possible  one  under  present  con- 
ditions.   I  was  perfectly  willing  to  extend  your  tenures 
of  office,  but  if  you  deliberately  refuse,  it  is  on  your 
heads  that  the  responsibility  must  rest.    You  know  in 
your  heart,  Mr.  Burton,  that  the  off-shoots  of  your 
central  business  will  hamper  you  as  much  in  retreat 
as  they  benefited  you  in  advance.    This  is  also  true, 
although  in  a  less  degree,  with  Bannington  holdings. 
You  have  perhaps  noticed  that  the  market  has  rallied 
a  little  lately.     I  intended  it  to  close  with  an  upward 
trend,  but  if  nothing  but  war  will  satisfy  you,  why, 
war  it  is." 

Dick  rose  to  his  feet,  his  own  words  having  produced 
auto-intoxication,  and  the  long  delayed  reaction  having 
given  him  full  command  of  his  nerves.  As  he  looked 
smilingly  into  Burton's  eyes,  they  both  more  than  half 
believed  that  his  words  were  conservative  and  final. 
"I  have  all  my  plans  made,"  he  said  evenly,  "and  unless 
I  send  forth  the  word  to  switch  them,  the  bottom  will 
start  to  fall  out  of  the  market  a  few  minutes  before 
closing  time  and  to-morrow  you  will  be  fleeing  from 
the  wrath  of  the  mob." 

Again  it  was  personal  contact  which  rested  heavily 


380  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

on  Mr.  Burton.  He  found  himself  looking  into  the 
confident  face  of  a  fighting  man,  a  powerful  man,  a 
young  man,  and  the  old  habit  of  a  thousand  ages  still 
ran  in  his  blood — the  habit  of  defending  oneself  from 
physical  danger,  by  means  of  one's  own  physical  force. 
Oftener  than  we  are  aware,  these  old,  primitive  habits 
which  lurk  in  the  blood,  secure  from  the  attacks  of 
reason,  leap  forth  and  grip  us  at  the  most  inopportune 
moments. 

"I  can't  tell  what  to  do,"  said  Mr.  Burton  peevishly. 
"I  don't  see  why  you  can't — I'll  walk  around  a  bit,  and 
think  it  over." 

"Better  make  up  your  mind  one  way  or  the  other.  I 
am  strongly  tempted  to  lock  up  and  go  to  the  country 
until  it's  all  over." 

"I'll  be  back  in  a  few  minutes,"  said  Burton,  as  he 
left  the  office. 

"Wouldn't  we  just  love  to  know  what  cards  the 
others  are  hiding?"  said  Dick.  "I  now  know  exactly 
how  Mr.  N.  Bonaparte  felt  about  four  p.  M.  on  the 
day  of  his  justly  celebrated  game  at  Waterloo.  I  wish 
it  were  over." 

Ivan  knocked  and  was  admitted.  "Mr.  Claude  Lor- 
rain  is  here,  and  he  has  been  drinking,"  he  announced. 
"Shall  I  tell  him  to  call  week  after  next?" 

"No,"  replied  Dick  grimly,  "admit  him.  I  have 
been  abused  all  day  without  having  a  chance  to  strike 
back;  it  will  be  a  relief  to  abuse  some  one  else." 

Lorrain  entered  with  his  usual  assurance.  Nothing 
but  a  certain  sheen  to  the  eyes  indicated  that  he  had 
been  drinking.  "I'm  all  in,  Dick,"  he  said  without 


AN   EXPLOSION  381 

embarrassment.  "I've  been  on  the  wrong  side  of  every 
move  and  I'm  stone  broke.  What  can  you  do  for 
me?" 

Dick  looked  at  him  coldly.  "I  can  send  you  up 
for  five  years,  if  I  want  to,"  he  replied  with  harsh 
distinctness,  "but  I  don't  want  to.  All  I  want  is  to 
tell  you  that  you  are  a  contemptible  scoundrel,  and  to 
advise  you  to  leave  this  country  as  soon  as  possible." 

"Is  that  all?"  asked  Lorrain  with  a  sneer.  "Well, 
when  I  want  advice,  I'll  let  you  know.  What  I  want 
now  is  money.  You  promised  all  kinds  of  things  to 
get  me  over  here,  now  you  pretend — " 

"Cut  it  out,"  interrupted  Dick  sternly.  "It  did  not 
require  an  anasthetic  to  tear  you  away  from  your 
beloved  country,  and  you  had  been  here  before,  any- 
way, and  knew  the  conditions.  Emil  and  Ivan  will 
soon  be  provided  with  funds  to  carry  out  their  plans, 
or  with  positions  which  will  make  them  independent — 
whichever  they  prefer — but  as  for  you,  you  are  a  sneak, 
a  thief,  a  low-grade,treacherous  scoundrel." 

It  was  a  luxury  to  lay  a  biting  emphasis  on  cadi 
epithet. 

"You're  a  liar!"  cried  Lorrain. 

Dick  smiled  threateningly,  as  he  stood  with  his 
muscles  at  feline  readiness.  "Thanks,"  he  said  heartily. 
"I  have  been  called  that  before,  to-day,  but  was  not 
able  properly  to  resent  it.  We  are  about  the  same  size 
and  age.  I  shall  have  to  ask  you  to  take  it  bade,  at 
once,  or,  or  I'll  punch  your  head  off — you  thief!" 

As  soon  as  Lorrain  had  entered  the  private  office, 
Lorrimer  had  got  down  from  the  stool  and  had  placed 


382  THE   STEERING   WHEEL 

his  ear  at  the  key-hole.  Ivan  had  indignantly  pulled 
him  away,  but  Lorrimer  had  explained  that  he  was 
Lorrain's  brother  and  that  Lorrain  was  desperate 
enough  for  anything. 

Lorrain  had  turned  white  with  rage  when  Dick  had 
ordered  him  to  take  back  the  term,  and  when  Dick  had 
taken  a  step  forward  and  called  him  a  thief,  he  had 
sprung  back  and  placed  his  hand  to  his  hip  pocket. 

At  this  moment  the  door  opened  and  Lorrimer 
entered.  The  three  men  stood  in  strained  positions  for 
a  moment,  and  then  Dick  said  with  cool  hauteur :  "Mr. 
Lorrimer,  you  seem  to  have  forgotten  my  instructions. 
No  one  is  allowed  to  enter  this  office  without  my  per- 
mission. That  is  all." 

Lorrimer  looked  at  his  brother,  at  Dick,  but  receiv- 
ing no  notice  from  either,  withdrew  and  closed  the 
door. 

"Lorrain,"  said  Dick,  advancing  toward  him,  "I 
am  going  to  do  you  the  undeserved  honor  of  whipping 
you  in  the  good  old  American  style." 

Dick's  fists  were  doubled  into  large,  hard  lumps, 
and  in  his  eyes  was  the  gleam  of  combat.  Lorrain 
backed  toward  the  door  marked  "Vice-President," 
drew  a  revolver  and  pointed  it  at  Dick. 

"Put  that  thing  up,"  ordered  Dick'.  "Now,  under- 
stand the  conditions  perfectly ;  in  my  desk  I  have  a  gun 
and  a  hidden  police  call,  in  the  outer  office  are  two  men 
who  would  die  for  me,  but  I  want  a  fight,  a  real  fight. 
I  need  it,  and  I  insist  that  you  put  up  that  gun." 

Lorrain  laughed  contemptuously,  and  there  was  not 
a  trace  of  fear  in  his  laughter.  "I  shall  not  put  up  the 


AN    EXPLOSION  383 

gun,"  he  said.  "I  hate  you.  You  must  not  think  that 
because  I  condescended  to  live  with  ruffians  for  a 
while,  that  I  shall  also  brawl  with  them.  You  are 
nothing  but  a  bully.  I  have  nothing  to  win  or  lose  in 
life,  now,  and  before  I  leave  it,  I  am  going  to  get  even 
with  you." 

"Not  yet,"  answered  Dick  with  a  peculiar  smile.  "I 
still  have  one  friend  that  money  can't  bribe,  smooth 
words  can't  wheedle,  or  a  revolver  frighten."  He 
paused,  looked  at  Lorrain  a  second  through  half-closed 
eyes,  and  then  called  in  a  loud,  clear  voice:  "Take 
him,  Mulligan,  take  him!" 

A  movement  in  the  corner  at  Lorrain's  right  caused 
him  to  shift  his  eyes  in  that  direction,  just  as  the  vice- 
president  of  the  Dickie  Nut-Lock  Company,  came  forth 
from  beneath  the  table,  his  eyes  red  with  determination, 
the  bristles  erect  along  his  back,  and  his  teeth  gleaming 
fiercely.  Just  as  the  dog  leaped  for  his  throat,  Lor- 
rain whirled  and  fired  point  blank.  Mulligan  fell  in 
a  heap  to  the  floor  and  Dick  at  the  same  instant  sprang 
across  the  intervening  distance,  seized  the  smoking 
revolver  in  his  left  hand,  and  Lorrain's  throat  in  his 
right. 

\Yith  a  powerful  twist  he  wrenched  the  revolver  free, 
cast  it  to  the  rug,  doubled  up  his  fist  and  struck  Lorrain 
in  the  center  of  his  forhead.  The  blow  rendered  him 
unconscious,  but  Dick  was  beside  himself,  and  held 
him  erect  by  the  throat  while  he  continued  to  beat  him 
with  his  left  hand. 

"You  have  killed  him,  you  have  killed  him!"  he 
screamed,  almost  raving.  "I'll  have  your  life  for  this. 


384  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

He  was  worth  a  dozen  such  curs  as  you !  You  coward, 
you  sneak—" 

Ivan  and  Lornmer  had  reached  him  by  this  time, 
but  Dick  in  his  rage  was  a  match  for  all  three  of  them 
and  when  they  grasped  his  arms,  he  loosened  his  hold 
on  Lorrain  and  shook  them  from  him  as  though  they 
had  been  children. 

Lorrain  sank  in  a  heap,  and  after  a  glance  at  him, 
Dick  knelt  besid,e  the  still  body  of  the  dog.  "Poor 
little  fellow,"  he  said  brokenly,  "right  in  the  center  of 
the  forehead!" 

Dick  no  longer  felt  any  of  the  restraints  of  civiliza- 
tion ;  he  turned  to  the  fallen  man  as  if  to  tear  him  asun- 
der, but  was  stopped  by  Lorrimer's  upraised  hand  and 
quiet  words :  "Please  don't,  sir.  I  fear  you  have  gone 
too  far  already." 

Lorrimer  was  kneeling  beside  Lorrain,  and  some- 
thing in  his  face  and  manner  awakened  Dick's  slum- 
bering decency,  and  he  rose  to  his  feet. 

"Here  is  the  bullet  in  the  edge  of  the  table,"  said 
Ivan,  who  had  been  making  an  examination. 

Dick  instantly  looked  at  the  embedded  piece  of  lead, 
ran  his  hand  over  Mulligan's  bony  skull,  which  had 
been  designed  for  the  strenuous  uses  of  an  active  and 
venturesome  career,  and  exclaimed :  "His  skull  is  not 
broken,  the  bullet  glanced.  He's  only  stunned!  I'll 
take  him  to  the  drug-store." 

Dick,  all  forgetful  of  the  industrial  chaos  wriicK 
he  had  helped  to  produce,  picked  up  the  bulldog  and 
rushed  into  the  outer  office,  where  Emil's  busy  pencil 
was  still  rapidly  following  the  fate  of  the  increasingly 


AN   EXPLOSION  385 

prosperous  penny.     "Emil,"  he  called,  "telephone  a 
doctor  to  come  to  Fenton's  drug-store.    Bullet  wound." 

For  the  thorough  study  of  philosophy  and  economics 
amid  scenes  of  turmoil  and  violence,  it  is  necessary  to 
cultivate  abnormal  powers  of  concentration.  Emil 
slowly  raised  his  head  and  explained:  "I  have  only 
figured  it  to  the  fifth  thousand  years,  at  every  year  it 
larger  grows  and  by  now — " 

"What  shall  we  do  with  Lorrain?"  inquired  Ivan, 
who  had  followed. 

"I  don't  care,"  answered  Dick  shortly.  "Throw  him 
in  the  garbage  barrel  if  you  want  to.  Clean  up  the 
office,  tell  all  callers  that  I'll  be  back  in  a  few  minutes 
f — and  send  that  doctor  to  Fenton's." 

Dick  slammed  the  door  after  him,  and  Emil  climbed 
down  from  his  stool  and  wandered  curiously  into  the 
private  office.  "Why,  there  must  a  fight  have  been," 
he  said  in  surprise.  "No  wonder  it  was  hard  my  at- 
tention to  hold  to  my  work.  I  am  going  to  have  a 
private  room  in  the  future.  Why,  it  is  Lorrain!" 

Lorrimer  had  thrown  water  in  his  brother's  face, 
and  now  Lorrain  began  to  moan  and  writhe. 

"What  had  we  better  do  with  him  ?"  asked  Ivan.    • 

"I  shall  take  him  away,"  replied  Lorrimer.  "No 
matter  what  else  he  is,  he  is  still  my  brother.  Tell  Mr. 
Bannington  that  I  shall  return  as  soon  as  possible." 

With  Ivan's  assistance,  Lorrimer  helped  Lorrain  to 
his  feet  and  after  he  had  walked  him  about  for  a  few 
moments,  he  put  his  arm  around  his  waist  and  sup- 
ported him  from  the  office. 

"Help  me  straighten  this  office,"  said  Ivan. 


386  THE   STEERING   WHEEL 

"Tell  me,  how  did  it  happen?"  asked  Emil. 

As  Ivan  talked  he  worked  busily  and  in  a  few 
moments  the  office  was  set  to  rights  and  the  two  in 
charge  had  taken  their  places  behind  the  wire  screen 
in  the  outer  office. 

Emil  arranged  his  loose  pages  methodically,  sharp- 
ened his  pencil,  and  set  down  a  formidable  row  of 
figures.  Suddenly  he  raised  his  head,  and  pointing 
his  index  finger  slightly  above  Ivan's  head,  he  said 
solemnly:  "Ivan,  I  am  convinced  that  affairs  in  this 
office  are  beginning  to  draw  to  a  climax." 

"I  wish  that  they  were  settled,"  rejoined  Ivan  with 
a  sigh,  "so  that  we  could  give  all  our  attention  to  the 
affairs  of  the  Cause." 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 

AT  THE  WHEEL  OF  THE  SUPER-CAR 

I"  T  was  probably  five  minutes  later  that  the  unusual 
A  calm  was  broken  by  the  entrance  of  Richard  Ban- 
nington.  His  step  was  alert  and  his  face  was  eager. 
"Where  is  Mr.  Bannington?"  he  asked. 

"He  was  called  out  on  important  business,  but  said 
that  he  would  return  as  soon  as  possible.  Won't  you 
take  a  seat?" 

"I'll  take  a  seat  in  his  office.  Tell  him  I  want  to  see 
him  as  soon  as  he  returns." 

The  old  man  shut  the  door  after  him  and  seated  him- 
self in  a  comfortable  rocking-chair.  "I  wonder  what's 
up,  now,"  he  muttered.  "Burton  wasn't  hooked  the 
last  time  he  saw  him,  and,  he's  not  the  man  to  grab  a 
thing  without  a  good  look  at  it.  He  was  studying 
about  things,  though,"  he  added  thoughtfully.  "Bur- 
ton's beginning  to  look  old.  Well,  we've  had  a  good 
long  fight.  I  must  say  I  rather  respect  the  man." 

He  sat  with  his  back  to  the  door,  drumming  on  the 
arm  of  his  chair,  as  Kate  Burton  entered  the  outer  of- 
fice. "Is  Mr.  Bannington  in  ?"  she  asked. 

"Yes,  ma'am,  in  the  private — " 

Kate  swept  through  the  outer  office  and  into  the 
inner  one,  closing  the  door  after  her.  "Oh,  I  beg  your 

387 


388  THE    STEERING    WHEEL 

pardon,"  she  said  on  catching  sight  of  Richard.  "I 
thought  Mr.  Bannington  was  here." 

The  old  man  looked  at  her  with  fatherly  approval. 
Her  face  was  troubled,  but  her  eyes  were  brighter 
than  ever.  "He  is  here — but  I  suppose  you  mean  my 
nephew,"  said  the  uncle  kindly.  "He  will  return  in  a 
few  moments ;  take  a  seat.  It  is  probable  that  he  will 
wait  on  you  first." 

"And  so  you  are  his  uncle,"  said  Kate,  looking  at 
him  with  frank  curiosity,  "but  I  should  have  guessed  it, 
anyway." 

"And  pray,  who  are  you?"  asked  Bannington,  his 
eyes  twinkling. 

"Why,  I" — Kate  paused  in  embarrassment — "I 
am  Kate  Burton." 

"Humph;  any  relation  to  William  Steel  Mills?" 

"His  daughter,"  replied  Kate  proudly,  and  then 
watched  her  inquisitor  keenly,  expecting  to  see  him 
fly  into  a  rage. 

Bannington  stared  at  her  a  moment.  "Then,  who  was 
the  other  party  ?"  he  asked. 

"What  other  party  ?"  asked  Kate  in  surprise. 

"Why,  the  old  one,"  answered  Bannington,  chuck- 
ling. "The  one  I  arrested  for  trespass  and  who  nearly 
drove  me  out  of  the  house." 

"Why,  that  is  Aunt  Emma,"  answered  Kate,  laugh- 
ing at  the  memory  of  that  wonderful  night.  "Not 
really  my  aunt,  you  know,  father's  cousin — but  she  has 
been  a  mother  to  me." 

"Have  you  a  blue  ribbon  ?" 

"Not  here,  what  do  you  want  with  it?" 


THE   SUPER-CAR  389 

"I'm  the  biggest  fool  this  country  has  produced,  and 
I  want  to  be  decorated,"  said  Bannington,  his  eyes 
twinkling  again.  "But,  anyway,"  he  said,  rising  and  ex- 
tending his  hand,  "allow  me  to  welcome  you  into  the 
family." 

"I  am  not  coming  into  the  family,"  replied  Kate, 
blushing  furiously. 

"What!" 

"No,  that  is  all  broken  off." 

He  fixed  his  keen  eyes  on  her  sharply:  "Then,  what 
do  you  mean  by  coming  to  his  office  alone?"  he  asked 
bluntly. 

"You  are  just  like  Dick !"  cried  Kate,  blushing  again. 
"You  are  just  as  mean  as  you  can  be.  I  had  to  come 
here — on  business." 

"What  kind  of  business?" 

"You  have  no  right  to  ask." 

"Did  you  love  him,  once  ?"  asked  Bannington  in  an 
unexpectedly  gentle  voice. 

"Yes,"  answered  Kate  in  a  low  tone,  turning  her 
face  away. 

"How  long  ago?" 

"Why — this  morning." 

"Did  you  love  him  very  much?" 

"Yes,  I  did — this  morning." 

"Then  you  are  not  over  it  now,"  said  the  old  man 
sternly.  "I  shan't  allow  you  to  be  over  it.  I  insist 
that  you  marry  my  nephew  and  stop  all  this  non- 
sense." 

"You  have  no  right  to  talk  to  me  this  way,"  cried 
Kate,  facing  him  without  flinching.  "I  can't  imagine 


390  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

why  I  stayed  to  listen  to  you,  or  why  I  answered  your 
questions." 

A  strange  look  was  on  the  old  man's  face.  "Child, 
you  are  very  like  your  mother,"  he  said. 

"Did  you  know  my  mother?"  asked  Kate  eagerly. 

Bannington  paced  the  floor  a  time  or  two,  a  far-away 
look  in  his  eyes.  "Yes,  I  knew  her  when  I  was  a  boy 
and  she  was  a  little  girl,  out  in  Ohio.  You  are  a  beauti- 
ful girl — I  don't  want  to  hurt  your  feelings,  but  your 
mother — there  never  was  such  a  girl  as  your  mother." 

"Oh,  tell  me  of  her,"  cried  Kate,  placing  her  hand 
on  his  arm.  "No  one  will  ever  talk  to  me  of  her,  and 
I  want — you  can't  know  how  much  I  want  to  hear  of 
her." 

"I  am  not  a  poet,  girl,"  replied  Richard  Bannington 
gruffly,  "and  no  one  else  has  a  right  to  speak  of  your 
mother's  girlhood." 

"Well,  tell  me  something,"  pleaded  Kate. 

The  old  man  seated  himself  in  the  rocking-chair,  and 
half-closed  his  eyes.  All  the  harsh  lines  had  left  his 
face  and  when  he  spoke  his  voice  was  low  and  mellow. 
"The  gladness  of  dawn  was  always  shining  from  her 
eyes,"  he  said  softly,  "and  her  cheeks  were  peach 
blossoms  scattered  over  apple  blossoms,  and  her  voice 
was  like  that  of  all  the  song-birds  melted  into  one.  She 
lived  in  the  open,  as  a  girl  should,  and  rode  and  walked 
and  went  berrying,  and  grew  up  like  a  flower — dainty 
and  sweet  and  gentle — and — "  he  broke  off  abruptly 
and  blew  his  nose  with  great  fierceness. 

Kate  put  her  hand  on  his  shoulder  from  where  she 
stood  behind  his  chair.  Her  eyes  were  filled  with 


THE   SUPER-CAR  391 

happy  tears  but  they  did  not  wet  her  cKeelcs.  "You 
said  that  you  were  not  a  poet,"  she  whispered,  "but  I 
do  not  believe  you.  Oh,  I  am  so  glad  that  you  have 
told  me  about  my  mother !  Tell  me  some  more,  won't 
you  please?" 

"Don't  ask  me  to  tell  you  any  more,  girl,"  said  Ban- 
nington,  reaching  up  and  taking  her  hand.  "You  have 
the  picture  of  her,  just  as  it  has  stayed  with  me,  and 
now  you  can  make  up  your  own  fairy  tales  about  her." 

"I  want,  so  much,  to  hear  more  of  her,  and  you  seem 
to  remember  her  so  well." 

"That  is  one  great  trouble  with  me,"  said  the  old  man 
a  little  bitterly.  "I  can  never  forget.  And  Dick's  like 
me,  child: — that's  why  I  want  you  to  marry  him." 

"Dick  is  not  nearly  so  nice  as  you  are,"  protested 
Kate.  "He  has  a  cruel,  bad  heart;  while  you  are  so 
kind  and  gentle." 

Bannington  smiled  grimly.  "I  suppose  you  must  have 
overheard  some  one  talking  of  me.  That  is  my  general 
reputation,  is  it  not?" 

"Well,"  said  Kate,  striving  to  do  no  one  injustice, 
"they  have  not  seen  you  as  I  have." 

"Probably  not,  probably  not,"  assented  Bannington. 
"You  are  very  much  like  your  mother.  What  is  your 
name?" 

"Kate." 

"Well,  Kate,  I  want  you  to  marry  Diclc.  You  and 
I  will  be  allies  and  we'll  soon  bring  him  under  dis- 
cipline." 

"Why  do  you  want  me  to  marry  Dick  ?" 

"You  can't  imagine  how  much  I  care  for  the  boy," 


392  THE   STEERING   WHEEL 

confided  the  ©Id  man.  "He  seems  like  myself  over 
again — he  is  lots  like  what  I  was  at  his  age — and  I 
know  he  will  never  love  but  once.  And,  oh,  Kate, 
child,  it  is  an  awful  thing  to  love  only  once,  and  to  be 
disappointed  that  once." 

Kate  sat  on  the  arm  of  the  chair  and  her  arm  stole 
about  his  neck.  "Did  you  only  love  once,  and  were  you 
disappointed  then  ?"  she  asked. 

"That's  the  whole  story  of  my  life,"  answered  Ban- 
nington  shortly. 

"Was  it  your  fault,  or  was  it  the  girl's  ?"  she  asked. 

"It  started  in  a  bit  of  youthful  nonsense — we  were 
both  proud — and,  I  went  away.  When  I  came  back,  I 
had  made  my  start  in  life — but  it  was  too  late.  It  was 
too  late  then." 

"Had  she  forgotten  you  ?" 

"I  didn't  try  to  find  out.  She  was  engaged  to  be 
married,  and  I  did  not  even  see  her.  I  never  did  see  her 
again." 

"And  was  she  a  pretty  girl,  like  my  mother?"  asked 
Kate.  Suddenly  she  sprang  to  her  feet  and  looked  into 
his  eyes.  "Oh — was  she  my  mother  ?"  she  exclaimed. 

The  old  man  only  bowed  his  head  in  reply. 

"And  then  that  is  why  you  and  my  father  have  been 
such  bitter  enemies  ?"  she  asked,  and  then  with  a  puz- 
zled look,  added :  "But  why  should  he  be  bitter  against 
you?" 

"I  don't  know  for  sure* — and  it  is  just  as  well  that  I 
don't." 

"But  you  have  some  idea.   Tell  me  what  you  think." 

"It  hardly  seems  right  to  stir  up  the  past ;  but  some- 


THE   SUPER-CAR  393 

times  its  lessons  may  help  us  with  our  own.  A  mutual 
friend  told  me  years  afterward,  that  after  it  was  too 
late — and  oh,  in  such  a  little  while  it  becomes  too  late. 
Well,  after  it  was  too  late,  she  discovered  that  after 
all  she  had  really  loved  me.  She  was  a  good  wife;  and 
if  she  had  lived,  she  would  have  been  a  good  mother; 
but — and  that  is  why  I  want  you  to  marry  Dick.  You 
do  love  him,  don't  you?" 

Kate  threw  her  arms  about  the  old  man's  neck  and 
buried  her  face  against  his  shoulder.  "Oh,  I  do — I  do," 
she  murmured ;  "but  I  never  can  tell  him  so  now." 

Bannington  put  his  arms  about  her  tenderly  and  as 
she  settled  on  his  lap,  he  rocked  to  and  fro. 

"You  don't  have  to  tell  him,  you  foolish  child,"  he 
said,  patting  her  head,  "all  you  have  to  do  is  to  give 
him  one  chance  to  look  into  your  eyes.  I  know  Dick." 

While  the  old  man  continued  to  rock  to  and  fro,  he 
demonstrated  his  resemblance  to  Dick  by  forgetting 
entirely  that  his  worldly  affairs  were  in  the  breakers  of 
a  rock-bound  coast ;  but  in  the  meantime,  William  Bur- 
ton had  hurriedly  entered  the  outer  office. 

"Is  Mr.  Bannington  in  ?"  he  asked. 

"Yes,  sir,"  replied  Ivan.  "That  is,  no,  not  the  one 
you  wish  to  see.  Just  take  a  seat." 

"You  don't  lie  gracefully,"  rejoined  Burton  with 
suspicion.  "You  had  better  cut  it  out  entirely  until  you 
have  more  experience.  Who  is  with  him?" 

"Why,  Miss  Burton— that  is,  I  don't— 

But  Mr.  Burton  was  already  steaming  toward  the 
door  to  the  inner  office.  He  threw  it  open,  saw  the 
occupants  of  the  room  spring  to  their  feet,  without 


394  THE    STEERING   WHEEL! 

remembering  to  unclasp  their  hands,  and  he  came  to 
an  abrupt  stop  on  the  threshold.  His  eyes  gleamed  an- 
grily as  he  fastened  them  on  his  daughter.  "What  are 
you  doing  in  this  office,  and  why  are  you  holding  that 
man's  hand  ?"  he  demanded,  taking  a  step  forward. 

For  a  moment  Kate  was  too  surprised  to  answer. 
She  continued  to  hold  the  old  man's  hand  and  to  lean 
against  him  for  support,  mental  as  well  as  physical. 

A  look  of  horror  came  into  her  father's  eyes.  "You 
don't  mean  that  there  is  anything  between  you?"  he 
gasped. 

"Look  here,  Burton,"  said  the  elder  Bannington, 
"don't  be  an  idiot.  This  girl  is  all  right,  and  I  am  old 
enough  to  be  her  father — and  I  wish  to  Heaven  I  was." 

"It  means,  father,"  said  Kate,  recovering,  "that  I  am 
going  to  marry  Dick  Bannington,  and  that  I  have  just 
been  getting  acquainted  with  my  future  uncle — and  I 
am  going  to  love  him  dearly." 

A  sudden  something  caught  in  William  Burton's 
throat.  "And  what  about  your  old  father?"  he  asked 
gently.  For  answer  Kate  threw  her  arms  about  his 
neck  and  he  resumed  with  unaccustomed  humility.  "I 
know  I  am  silent  and  reserved,  and  I  don't  wear  my 
heart  on  my  sleeve ;  but,  Kate — I  have  always  tried  to 
be  a  good  father  to  you." 

"You  have  been,  you  have  been,"  sobbed  Kate. 

"I  have  loved  you  with  all  my  heart,  daughter,"  He 
said,  forgetting,  as  is  not  uncommon  with  strong  char- 
acters, that  they  were  not  alone,  "and  I  have  tried,  I 
have  tried — but  nothing  can  ever  make  up  to  you  for 
what  you  have  lost." 


THE   SUPER-CAR  395 

Richard  Bannington  had  turned  away  and  was  gaz- 
ing out  the  window,  humming  softly  to  himself  and 
wishing  that  a  fire-escape  were  within  reach. 

"Father,  you  have  done  all  you  can,  and  I  love  you 
with  all  my  heart,"  said  Kate. 

"Then  come,"  said  Burton  decisively,  starting 
toward  the  still  open  door. 

"But,  father,  I  love  Dick  with  all  my  heart,  too ;  and 
I  am  beginning  to  love  his  uncle  also,  with  all  my 
heart." 

"And  that's  the  kind  of  a  heart  to  have,  too," 
growled  Mr.  Richard  Bannington,  turning  around 
from  the  window. 

"Come,  Kate,"  said  Burton  stiffly,  "we  can  talk  this 
over  better  at  home." 

"No,  we  can't,"  cried  Kate  impulsively.  "You  are 
nothing  but  a  pair  of  naughty  boys,  and  you  have  kept 
up  this  quarrel  entirely  too  long  already.  It  is  high 
time  that  you  shake  hands  and  make  up — and  that  is 
just  what  you  are  going  to  do."  She  wilfully  took 
their  two  right  hands  and  joined  them  while  they 
actually  did  look  as  sheepish  and  awkward  as  two  boys 
under  similar  conditions.  "Now  look  into  each  other's 
eyes,  and  smile — oh,  smile  more  of  a  smile  than  that." 
The  two  men  looked  into  each  other's  eyes  and  they 
actually  did  smile.  At  first  it  was  only  with  a  great  ef- 
fort, but  finally  the  smile  became  frank  and  free. 
"Now  then,"  said  Kate  buoyantly,  "I  pronounce  you 
fast  friends  for  ever  more — and  let  no  man  put  asun- 
der, what  I  have  joined  together." 

"Burton,"    said    Bannington    with   a   hearty   grip, 


396  THE   STEERING   WHEEL 

"we've  been  a  couple  of  old  fools,  I  hope  this  is  the  end 
of  our  nonsense.  You've  got  the  finest  girl  there  is." 

"Well,  I'm  ready  to  quit,"  responded  Burton,  return- 
ing the  grip,  "and  I  want  to  say,  Bannington,  that  that 
nephew  of  yours  is  built  on  just  the  specifications  I 
should  draw  up  if  I  were  having  a  son  built  to  order." 

Kate  slipped  an  arm  about  each  of  their  necks. 
"This  is  the  very  finest  gathering  I  ever  attended,"  she 
cried  enthusiastically. 

They  each  put  an  arm  about  her  waist,  and  as  they 
talked,  they  swayed  rhythmically  to  and  fro.  It  was 
this  curious  scene  which  met  Dick's  gaze  as  he  opened 
the  door  of  his  outer  office,  bearing  in  his  arms  the  con- 
valescent Mulligan,  who  felt  fully  able  to  walk,  but  had 
rather  enjoyed  the  sensation  which  he  had  caused  while 
being  borne  along  the  street  with  his  head  bandaged. 

Dick  was  in  rather  low  spirits.  As  soon  as  he  had 
found  that  Mulligan  was  not  in  a  dangerous  condition, 
and  the  excitement  of  the  struggle  had  died  away,  his 
own  situation  descended  on  him  heavily.  Both  his 
uncle  and  Mr.  Burton  had  refused  to  merge,  and  Kate 
had  said  that  all  was  over  between  them.  If  he  was 
defeated  in  his  industrial  raid,  he  knew  that  all  was  in- 
deed over,  for  he  was  determined  to  hide  himself  from 
the  gaze  of  all  who  had  ever  known  him.  While  he  was 
waiting  for  the  bandage  to  be  adjusted,  he  had  pur- 
chased an  extra,  which  brought  him  an  additional  de- 
pression. It  stated  that  the  market  had  closed  much 
stronger  than  it  had  opened,  that  Bannington  and  Bur- 
ton had  been  in  secret  conference  most  of  the  day  at 
an  obscure  office  on  the  East  Side,  and  this  was  taken  to 


THE   SUPER-CAR  397 

indicate  that  they  had  been  acting  in  unison  all  along 
and  that  the  depression  in  steel  stocks  had  been  for  the 
sole  purpose  of  freezing  out  the  small  holders. 

"This  is  how  a  rocket  feels,  when  it  starts  the  return 
trip,"  said  Dick,  with  Spartan  facetiousness,  as  he 
picked  up  a  far  heavier  burden  than  his  dog,  and 
started  back  to  his  office — the  office  from  which  he  had 
meant  to  rule  the  steel  industry. 

Now,  as  he  stood  in  the  outer  office,  it  seemed  per- 
fectly clear  that  his  uncle  had  carried  out  his  threat, 
had  merged  with  Burton  and  had  cut  him  off  entirely, 
and  that  Kate  was  assisting  at  their  jubilee. 

"We'll  marry  off  the  young  folk,  merge  the  two 
plants,  and  after  that  we  can  run  things  on  a  com- 
fortable basis,"  said  Burton  merrily. 

"Surest  thing  in  the  world,"  assented  Richard  joy- 
fully. "Together  we  can  control  the  mines,  transporta- 
tion, price,  and  output — oh,  it's  a  great  deal!" 

"And  we'll  make  that  young  cub  of  yours  president 
of  the  combine.  He's  got  the  youth,  and  he's  got  the 
nerve." 

"And  now  that  he's  had  a  taste,"  added  Bannington, 
"you  couldn't  pry  him  loose  with  a  crowbar.  We'll 
start  in  to-morrow,  bear  the  market  a  little,  buy  in  the 
timid  shares,  let  in  a  little  more  money,  and  then — " 

"Oh,  it  sounds  just  like  a  fairy  tale,"  cried  Kate, 
hugging  them  joyfully. 

Dick  placed  the  vice-president  on  his  feet,  and 
cleared  his  throat.  The  group  in  the  private  office 
turned  to  face  him  at  the  sound,  and  he  advanced  a  few 
steps  and  said  solemnly:  "But  don't  forget  that  as 


398  THE    STEERING   WHEEL 

president  of  the  new  combine,  I  am  to  dictate  its 
policies,  and  that  may  have  some  effect  on  the  fairy 
tale.  I  have  not  changed  my  principles  one  jot.  I  still 
believe  in  universal  brotherhood,  and  I  still  have  sym- 
pathy for  suffering  humanity,  and  I  am  still  going  to 
devote  the  balance  of  my  life  to  bringing  about  a  con- 
dition wherein  poverty  will  be  impossible  and  crime  an 
indication  of  insanity. 

"For  this  purpose,  I  shall  continue  to  maintain  these 
offices  at  ninety-six  Nathan,  and  Ivan  and  Emil  will 
have  the  chance  they  have  waited  for  so  long." 

Dick  had  spoken  in  firm,  ringing  tones,  and  when 
he  stopped  he  started  toward  Kate,  who  had  suddenly 
been  overcome  with  an  attack  of  exceeding  great  shy- 
ness, and  had  retreated  to  that  corner  which  was 
shielded  by  a  large  Japanese  screen.  Dick  followed  her 
behind  it,  remembering  Miss  Burton's  last  instructions, 
and  the  two  older  men  turned  modestly  and  gazed  out 
the  convenient  window. 

"Let  him  talk  all  he  wants  to,"  whispered  Banning- 
ton  with  a  sly  wink.  "He'll  do  the  right  thing  when  the 
pinch  comes." 

"Not  a  doubt  of  it,"  responded  Burton,  returning  the 
wink.  "We  all  have  to  go  through  this  stage;  but  it 
don't  last  long.  One  good  fight  with  the  unions  will 
line  him  up  for  the  rest  of  his  life." 

"What  do  you  think  has  happened  ?"  whispered  Ivan, 
nudging  Emil. 

"Don't  bother  me,"  grunted  Emil,  "I  have  not  yet 
figured  the  interest  down  to  the  sixth  thousand  year." 


THE   SUPER-CAR  399 

"And  will  you  love  me  this  way  always  ?"  whispered 
Kate  behind  the  screen. 

"At  least,  I  shall  never  love  you  any  less,"  answered 
Dick  without  the  smallest  trace  of  doubt  in  his  voice. 

Mulligan,  who  had  again  retired  under  the  table  in 
the  corner,  now  rapped  his  tail  on  the  floor  as  a  token 
of  satisfaction ;  but  Mulligan  was  sound  asleep  and  in 
his  dreams  the  revolver  had  not  exploded  until  after  his 
leap  had  been  brought  to  a  successful  issue. 


THE  END 


A  FEW  OF 

GROSSET  &   DUNLAP'S 
Great  Books  at  Little  Prices 

NEW.  CLEVER.  ENTERTAINING. 


GRbyC  MRdy2°aagan-       yBeatri"  Mantle.    Titrated 


°Lby  t£wfrd?SeTALES'     By  Margaret  Ddand'     Illustrated 

A  vivid  yet  delicate  portrayal  of  characters  in  an  old  New  England  town 

Dr.  Lavendar's  fine,  kindly  wisdom  is  brought  to  bear  upont      1  •  ,  ,    f 

all  permeating  the  whole  volume  like  the  pungent  odor  o($n*,  heaUhfSl 

abide!    8Wmg'  Chester  Tales  "  will  surely  be  among  the  books  that 

THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  BABY.    By  Josephine  Daskam.    Illus- 
trated by  F.  Y.  Cory. 

The  dawning  intelligence  of  the  baby  was  grappled  with  by  its  great  aunt 
in  elderly  maiden,  whose  book  knowledge  ofbabies  was  something  at  which 
-ven  the  infant  himself  winked.    A  delicious  bit  of  humor. 
REBECCA  MARY.     By  Annie  Hamilton  Donnell.     Illustrated 
by  Elizabeth  Shippen  Green. 

The  heart  tragedies  of  this  little  girl  with  no  one  near  to  share  them,  are 
told  with  a  delicate  art,  a  keen  appreciation  of  the  needs  of  the  childish 
heart  and  a  humorous  knowledge  of  the  workings  of  the  childish  mind. 
THE  FLY  ON  THE  WHEEL    By  Katherine  Cecil  Thnrston, 
Frontispiece  by  Harrison  Fisher. 

An  Irish  story  of  real  power,  perfect  in  development  and  showing  a  true 
conception  of  the  spirited  Hibernian  character  as  displayed  in  the  tragic  as 
well  as  the  tender  phases  of  life. 

THE  MAN  FROM  BRODNEY'S.   By  George  Ban  McCutcheon. 

Illustrated  by  Harrison  Fisher. 

An  island  in  the  South  Sea  is  the  setting  for  this  entertaining  tale,  and 
an  all-conquering  hero  and  a  beautiful  princess  figure  in  a  most  complicated 
plot.  One  of  Mr.  McCutche  n's  best  books.. 

TOLD  BY  UNCLE  REMUS.    By  Joel  Chandler  Harris.    Illus- 
trated by  A.  B.  Frost,  J.  M.  Conde  and  Frank  Verbeck. 

Again  Uncle  Remus  enters  the  fields  of  childhood,  and  leads  another 
little  boy  to  that  non-lqcatable  land  called  "  Brer  Rabbit's  Laughing 
Place,"  and  again  the  quaint  animals  spring  into  active  life  and  play  their 
parts,  for  the  edification  of  a  small  but  appreciative  audience. 

THE  CLIMBER.    By  I;  F.  Benson.     With  frontispiece. 

An  unsparing  analysis  of  an  ambitious  woman's  soul—  a  woman  who 
believed  that  in  social  supremacy  she  would  find  happiness,  and  who  finds 
instead  the  utter  despair  of  one  who  has  chosen  the  things  that  pass  away. 

LYNCH'S  DAUGHTER.    By  Leonard  Merrick.    Illustrated  by 

Oeo.  Brehm. 

A  story  of  to-day,  telling  how  a  rich  girl  acquires  ideals  of  beautiful  and 
simple  living,  and  of  men  and  love,  quite  apart  trom  the  teachings  of  her 
father,  "  Old  Man  Lynch  "lofiWall  St.  True  to  life,  clever  in  treatment 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,  526  WEST  26th  ST.,  NEW  YORK 


GROSSET  &  DUNLAP'S 

DRAMATIZED  NOVELS 

A  Few  that  are  Making  Theatrical  History 

MARY"  JANE'S  PA.    By  No.Tnan  Way.    Illustrated  with  scene* 

from  the  play. 

^Delightful,  irresponsible  "  Mary  Jane's  Pa"  awakes  one  morning  to  find 
ftunself  famous,  and,  genius  being  ill  adapted  to  domestic  ioys,  he  wanders 
from  home  to  work  out  his  own  unique  destiny.  One  of  the  most  humorouf 
bits  of  recent  fiction. 

CHERUB  DEVINE.    By  Sewell  Ford. 

"  Cherub,"  a  good  hearted  but  not  over  refined  young  man  is  brought  fo 
touch  with  the  aristocracy.  Of  sprightly  wit,  he  is  sometimes  a  merciless 
analyst,  but  he  proves  in  the  end  that  manhood  counts  for  more  than  and* 
ent  lineage  by  winning  the  love  of  the  fairest  girl  in  the  flock. 

A  WOMAN'S  WAY.    By  Charles  Somerville.    Illustrated  with 

scenes  from  the  play. 

A  story  in  which  a  woman's  wit  and  self-sacrificing  love  save  her  husband 
from  the  toils  of  an  adventuress,  and  change  an  apparently  tragic  situation 
into  one  of  delicious  comedy. 

THE  CLIMAX.    By  George  C.  Jenks. 

With  ambition  luring  her  on,  a  young  choir  soprano  leaves  the  little  village 
Where  she  was  born  and  the  limited  audience  of  St.  Tude's  to  train  for  the 
opera  in  New  York.  She  leaves  love  behind  her  and  meets  love  more  ardent 
but  not  more  sincere  in  her  new  environment.  How  she  works,  how  she 
Studies,  how  she  suffers,  are  vividly  portrayed. 

A  FOOL  THERE  WAS.     By  Porter  Emerson  Browne.     Illus- 
trated by  Edmund  Magrath  and  W.  W.  Fawcett. 
A  relentless  portrayal  of  the  career  of  a  man  who  C9mes  under  the  influence 
of  a  beautiful  but  evil  woman :  how  she  lures  him  on  and  on,  how  he 
struggles,  falls  and  rises,  only  to  fall  again  into  her  net,  make  a  story  of 
unflinching  realism 

THE  SQUAW   MAN.     By  Julie  Opp  Faversham  and  Edwin 

Milton  Royle.    Illustrated  with  scenes  from  the  play. 
A  glowing  story,  rapid  in  action,  bright  hi  dialogue  with  a  fine  courageous 
hero  and  a  beautiful  English  heroine. 

THE  GIRL  IN  WAITING.     By  Archibald  Eyre.     Illustrated 

with  scenes  from  the  play. 

A  droll  little  comedy  of  misunderstandings,  told  with  a  light  touch,  a  ven- 
turesome spirit  and  an  eye  for  human  oddities. 

THE   SCARLET   PIMPERNEL.     By  Baroness  Orczy.     Illus- 
trated with  scenes  from  the  play. 

A  realistic  story  of  the  days  of  the  French  Revolution,  abounding  in 
dramatic  incident,  with  a  young  English  soldier  of  fortune,  daring,  mysteri- 
ous as  the  hero, 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,  526  WEST  26th  ST.,  NEW  YORK 


A  FEW  OF 

GROSSET  &   DUNLAP'S 
Great  Books  at  Little  Prices 

QUINCY    ADAMS    SAWYER.      A  Picture  of  New 
England  Home  Life.    With  illustrations  by  C.  W, 
Reed,  and  Scenes  Reproduced  from  the  Play. 
One  of  the  best  New  England  stories  'ever  written.    It  is 
lull  of  homely  human  interest  *  *  *  there  is  a  wealth  of  New 
England  village  character,  scenes  and  incidents  *  *  *  forcibly, 
vividly  and  truthfully  drawn.    Few  books  have  enjoyed  a 
greater  sale  and  popularity.    Dramatized,  it  made  the  great- 
est rural  play  of  recent  times. 

THE  FURTHER  ADVENTURES  OF  QUINCY 
ADAMS  SAWYER.  By  Charles  Felton  Pidgin. 
Illustrated  by  Henry  Roth. 

All  who  love  honest  sentiment,  quaint  and  sunny  humor, 
and  homespun  philosophy  will  find  these  "  Further  Adven- 
tures" a  book  after  their  own  heart 

HALF  A  CHANCE.  By  Frederic  S.  Isham.  Illus- 
trated by  Herman  Pfeifer. 

The  thrfll  of  excitement  will  keep  the  reader  in  a  state  of 
Suspense,  and  he  will  become  personally  concerned  from  the 
start,  as  to  the  central  character,  a  very  real  man  who  suffers, 
dares — and  achieves  I 

VIRGINIA   OF   THE   AIR    LANES.    By   Herbert 

Quick.    Illustrated  by  William  R.  Leigh. 
The  author  has  seized  the  romantic  moment  for  the  airship 
novel,  and  created  the  pretty  story  of  "  a  lover  and  his  lass™ 
contending  with  an  elderly  relative  for  the  monopoly  of  the 
skies.    An  exciting  tale  of  adventure  in  midair. 

THE  GAME  AND  THE  CANDLE.    By  Eleanor  M. 

Ingram.    Illustrated  by  P.  D.  Johnson. 
The  hero  is  a  young  American,  who,  to  save  his  family  from 
poverty,  deliberately  commits  a  felony.    Then  follow  his  cap- 
ture and  imprisonment,  and  his  rescue  by  a  Russian  Grand 
Duke.    A  stirring  story,  rich  in  sentiment. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,  526  WEST  26th  ST.,  NEW  YORK 


A  FEW  OF 

GROSSE1    &   DUNLAP'S 
Great  Books  at  Little  Prices 

THE  MUSIC  MASTER.    By  Charles  Klein.      Illustrated 

by  John  Rae. 

This  marvelously  vivid  narrative  turns  upon  the  search  of  a  Ger- 
man musician  in  JNew  York  for  his  little  daughter.  Mr.  Klein  has 
well  portrayed  his  pathetic  struggle  with  poverty,  his  varied  expe- 
riences in  endeavoring  to  meet  the  demands  of  a  public  not  trained 
to  an  appreciation  of  the  classic,  and  his  final  great  hour  when,  in 
the  rapidly  shifting  events  of  a  big  city,  his  little  daughter,  now  a 
beautiful  young  woman,  is  brought  to  his  very  door.  A  superb  bit 
of  fiction,  palpitating  with  the  life  of  the  great  metropolis.  The 
play  in  which  David  Warfield  scored  his  highest  success. 

DR.    LAVENDAR'S    PEOPLE.      By   Margaret  Deland. 

Illustrated  by  Lucius  Hitchcock. 

Mrs.  Deland  won  so  many  friends  through  Old  Chester  Tales 
that  this  volume  needs  no  introduction  beyond  its  title.  The  lova- 
ble doctor  is  more  ripened  in  this  later  book,  and  the  simple  come- 
dies and  tragedies  of  the  old  village  are  told  with  dramatic  charm. 

OLD  CHESTER  TALES.  By  Margaret  Deland.  Illustrated 

by  Howard  Pyle. 

Stories  portraying  with  delightful  humor  and  pathos  a  quaint  peo- 
ple in  a  sleepy  old  town.    Dr.  Lavendar,  a  very  human  and  lovable 
"preacher,"  is  the  connecting  link  between  these  dramatic  stories 
from  life. 
HE  FELL  IN  LOVE  WITH  HIS  WIFE.    By  E.  P.  Roe. 

With  frontispiece. 

The  hero  is  a  farmer — a  man  with  honest,  sincere  views  of  life. 
Beieft  of  his  wife,  his  home  is  cared  for  by  a  succession  of  domes- 
tics of  varying  degrees  of  inefficiency  until,  from  a  most  unpromis- 
ing source,  comes  a  young  woman  who  not  only  becomes  his  wife 
but  commands  his  respect  and  eventually  wins  his  love.  A  bright 
and  dalicate  romance,  revealing  on  both  sides  a  love  that  surmounts 
all  difficulties  and  survives  the  censure  of  friends  as  well  as  the  bit- 
terness of  enemies. 

THE  YOKE.    By  Elizabeth  Miller. 

Against  the  historical  background  of  the  days  when  the  children 
of  Israel  were  delivered  from  the  bondage  of  Egypt,  the  author  has 
sketched  a  romance  of  compelling  charm.  A  biblical  novel  as  great 
as  any  since  "  Ben  Hur." 

SAUL  OF  TARSUS.    By  Elizabeth  Miller.    Illustrated  by 

Andre*  Castaigne. 

The  scenes  of  this  story  are  laid  in  Jerusalem,  Alexandria,  Rome 
and  Damascus.  The  Apostle  Paul,  the  Martyr  Stephen,  Herod 
Agrippa  and  the  Emperors  Tiberius  and  Caligula  are  among  the 
mighty  figures  that  move  through  the  pages.  Wonderful  descrip- 
tions, and  a  love  story  of  the  purest  and  noblest  type  mark  this 
most  remarkable  religious  romance. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,  526  WEST  26th  ST.,  NEW  YORK 


A  FEW  OF 

GROSSET  &   DUNLAP'S 
Great  Books  at  Little  Prices 

CY  WHITTAKER'S  PLACE.    By  Joseph  C.  Lincoln. 
Illustrated  by  Wallace  Morgan. 

A  Cape  Cod  story  describing  the  amusing  efforts  of  an  el- 
derly bachelor  and  his  two  cronies  to  rear  and  educate  a  little 
girl.    Full  of  honest  fun — a  rural  drama. 
THE  FORGE  IN  THE  FOREST.    By  Charles  G.  D. 
Roberts.     Illustrated  by  H.  Sandham. 

A  story  of  the  conflict  in  Acadia  after  its  conquest  by  the 
British.  A  dramatic  picture  that  lives  and  shines  with  the  in- 
definable oharm  of  poetic  romance. 

A  SISTER  TO  EVANGELINE.     By  Charles  G.  D. 
Roberts.    Illustrated  by  E.  McConnelL 

Being  the  story  of  Yvonne  de  Lamourie,  and  how  she  went 
into  exfle  with  the  villagers  of  Grand  Pre.  Swift  action, 
fresh  atmosphere,  wholesome  purity,  deep  passion  and  search- 
ing analysis  characterize  this  strong  novel. 

THE  OPENED  SHUTTERS.    By  Clara  Louise  Burn- 
ham.     Frontispiece  by  Harrison  Fisher. 

A  summer  haunt  on  an  island  in  Casco  Bay  is  the  back- 
ground for  this  romance.  A  beautiful  woman,  at  discord  with 
life,  is  brought  to  realize,  by  her  new  friends,  that  she  may 
open  the  shutters  of  her  soul  to  the  blessed  sunlight  of  joy  by 
casting  aside  vanity  and  self  love.  A  delicately  humorous 
work  with  a  lofty  motive  underlying  it  all. 
THE  RIGHT  PRINCESS.  By  Clara  Louise  Burnham. 

An  amusing  story,  opening  at  a  fashionable  Long  Island  re* 
sort,  where  a  stately  Englishwoman  employs  a  forcible  New 
England  housekeeper  to  serve  in  her  interesting  home.  How 
types  so  widely  apart  react  on  each  others'  live*,  all  to  ulti- 
mate good,  makes  a  story  both  humorous  and  rich  in  sentiment 
THE  LEAVEN  OF  LOVE.  By  Clara  Louise  Bum- 
ham.  Frontispiece  by  Harrison  Fisher. 

At  a  Southern  California  resort  a  world-weary  woman,  youne 
and  beautiful  but  disillusioned,  meets  a  girl  who  has  learned 
the  art  of  living — of  tasting  life  in  all  its  richness,  opuleno*  and 
joy.  The  story  hinges  upon  the  change  wrought  in  the  sou' 
of  the  blase  woman  by  this  glimpse  into  a  cheery  life. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAPV  526  WEST  26th  ST.,  NEW  YORK 


A  FEW  OF 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP'S 
Great  Books  at  Little  Prices 

BRUVVER  JIM'S  BABY.     By  Philip  Verrill  Mighels. 

An  uproariously  funny  story  of  a  tiny  mining  settlement  in  the 
West,  which  is  shaken  to  the  very  roots  by  the  sudden  possession 
of  a  baby,  found  on  the  plains  by  one  of  its  residents.  The  town  is 
as  disreputable  a  spot  as  the  gold  fever  was  ever  responsible  for, 
and  the  coming  of  that  baby  causes  the  upheaval  of  every  rooted 
tradition  of  the  place.  Its  christening,  the  problems  of  its  toys  and 
its  illness  supersede  in  the  minds  of  the  miners  all  thought  of  earthy 
treasure. 

THE  FURNACE  OF  GOLD.  By  Philip  Verrill  Mighels, 
author  of  "  Bruvver  Jim's  Baby."  Illustrations  by  J.  N- 
Marchand. 

An  accurate  and  informing  portrayal  of  scenes,  types,  and  condi- 
tions of  the  mining  districts  in  modern  Nevada. 

The  book  is  an  out-door  story,  clean,  exciting,  exemplifying  no- 
bility and  courage  of  character,  and  bravery,  and  heroism  in  the  sort 
of  men  and  women  we  all  admire  and  wish  to  know. 

THE  MESSAGE.  By  Louis  Tracy.  Illustrations  by  Joseph 
C.  Chase. 

A  breezy  tale  of  how  a  bit  of  old  parchment,  concealed  in  a  figure- 
head from  a  sunken  vessel,  comes  into  the  possession  of  a  pretty 
girl  and  an  army  man  during  regatta  week  in  the  Isle  of  Wight. 
This  is  the  message  and  it  enfolds  a  mystery,  the  development  of 
which  the  reader  will  follow  with  breathless  interest. 
THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE.  By  David  M.  Parry.  Illus- 
trations by  Hermann  C.  Wall. 

A  young  socialist,  weary  of  life,  plunges  into  the  sea  and  awakes 
in  the  lost  island  of  Atlantis,  known  as  the  Scarlet  Empire,  where 
a  social  democracy  is  in  full  operation,  granting  every  man  a  living 
but  limiting  food,  conversation,  education  and  marriage. 

The  hero  passes  through  an  enthralling  love  affair  and  other  ad- 
Tentures  but  finally  returns  to  his  own  New  York  world. 

THE  THIRD  DEGREE,  By  Charles  Klein  and  Arthur 
Hornblow.  Illustrations  by  Clarence  Rowe. 

A  novel  which  exposes  the  abuses  in  this  country  of  the  police 
system. 

The  son  of  an  aristocratic  New  York  family  marries  a  woman 
socially  beneath  him,  but  of  strong,  womanly  qualities  that,  later 
on,  save  the  man  from  the  tragic  consequences  of  a  dissipated  life. 

The  wife  believes  in  his  innocence  and  her  wit  and  good  sense 
help  her  to  win  against  the  tremendous  odds  imposed  by  law. 

THE  THIRTEENTH  DISTRICT.  By  Brand  Whitlock. 
A  realistic  western  story  of  love  and  politics  and  a  searching  study 
of  their  influence  on  character.  The  author  shows  with  extraordi- 
nary vitality  of  treatment  the  tricks,  the  heat,  the  passion,  the  tu- 
mult of  the  political  arena  the  triumph  and  strength  of  love. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,  526  WEST  26th  ST.,  NEW  YORK 


